“Crying on Mommy’s Arm”: Caleb Williams Grapples with “Weird Kid” Reputation During 2024 NFL Draft

The prince of the Trojans is being called out for his outburst of emotions during his time in college football. There are several things attached to the 2022 Heisman winner’s name but it seems like his being emotional is something that the NFL world can’t seem to get past easily.

Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the USC Trojans, is widely considered to be the ‘Patrick Mahomes 2.0’ due to his exceptional talent. His 2023 season raked in great numbers due to which he’s now projected to be a number 1 pick overall in the Draft. Yet, the game where USC lost to Washington continues to haunt the youngster since he was seen crying in his mother’s arms out of sadness. Rather than take pity on his emotions, some NFL fans and scouts continue to highlight his sensitivity as his biggest red flag.

Caleb Williams is a nightmare for NFL scouts

On 23rd April, the Pablo Torres Find Out show released their latest which saw popular commentator Dave Fleming join on the episode as a guest. Pablo Torre and Fleming took a deep dive into the top prodigy of the NFL’s selective traits, supposedly his weakest points. The discussion detailed the recent words of an anonymous NFL scout who gave his harsh opinion on the QB.

The scout’s words read, “You just lost a game in the middle of your f****** season, and it was like your third loss in the Pac-12, and you went hugging on mommy and crying in mommy’s arms, and it just seems really frickin weak and nuts. And I will tell you, he scares the s*** out of a lot of NFL teams too. The book on him is he’s just kind of a weird kid. One GM told me it’s like if Prince played quarterback.”

The crying incident continues to tarnish the legacy of Williams and all that he’s achieved in his career so far and thus, his response to why he shed so many of his emotions ended up being a symbol of his maturity rather than a chink in his armor.

Caleb Williams addresses the viral crying situation

According to what we have seen so far, Williams seems to be a player unlike anyone else. He was sporting nail paint on several occasions and also trying to be a strong supporter of mental health. Both traits have been constantly critiqued by the NFL community altogether. But according to the best QB of the 2023 class, he’s always done this, and he will not let the backlash change him in any way.

Williams addressed the outburst and said, “I go out every single day, blood, sweat and tears. I give my all on every single play, every chance that I get. I’ve been an advocate for mental health, show your emotions, and express yourself. It’s something that I’ve been doing since I was young, and now on a national level being able to try and share that awareness with the public.“