At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in early March, both Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze met with the Bears briefly as part of the process.
In the most recent episode of “1920 Football Drive,” they went inside those meetings, allowing viewers to listen in on their conversations with the players. Williams, obviously, was the most anticipated conversation of the two.
Viewers can see Williams made it a point to greet everyone in the room before sitting down for the discussion. He went around, shook hands, made eye contact and introduced himself promptly.
Here are a couple of the Q&As the Bears had with Williams.
Bears: How would you describe your leadership style? And how would teammates describe you as a person and a player?
Williams: “I think one of the biggest things I would say leadership wise is that I care for everybody in the locker room. I’d say that, and then I think I’m a fierce competitor. I hate losing. And so, I think the guys can feel that, when I speak in practice, whether I speak to them, how I play, how I work out. I think those are the top two for me.
Bears: Who is your hero and why?
Williams “My dad. He’s taught me so much. My dad and my mom. And then, you know, this is the most important thing to me. And I didn’t realize it until I got older that they hadn’t missed a game since I started playing at four years old. And so it’s, you know, pretty sick, to be able to kinda boast that.”
The meeting was a vital part of the Bears’ process in deciding whether or not to commit to Williams as their next quarterback. They didn’t show it, but the Bears also quizzed Williams with plays from their new playbook, asking him to repeat them back after going through their interview questions. He nailed it.
The process was pivotal for GM Ryan Poles. He and the Bears covet personality and character traits. Getting to know him and what matters to him was an important box to check for Poles.
“Just having that one on one interaction and getting to know what matters to him, what motivates him, what are his goals, how does he treat his teammates, his work ethic,” Poles said. “Once I started to get a feel for the person, that conviction started to come shortly after.”
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