Caleb Williams isn't afraid to wear his emotions on his mother's sleeves.
The USC quarterback and soon-to-be No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is apologetically him, whether you like it or not. In a sport that is macho in nature, the Bears' future signal caller has no issue with showing his emotions — even if there are plenty of jokes to be made about how he does it.
MORE: Caleb Williams red flags, explained: Why USC QB's dad, agent and more could concern NFL teams
Here is everything you need to know about Williams' crying memes, including where it started and how the quarterback responded.
Caleb Williams crying memes
Following a 52-42 November loss to Washington during Williams' final season in Southern California, he was seen crying in his mother's arms following the game.
Caleb Williams shares an emotional moment with his family after the loss pic.twitter.com/4WJemvAb4r
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 5, 2023
Those pictures and video aren't common in football, which meant that social media was quick to pounce on their newfound content machine.
When asked about the video by reporters, Williams took the chance to respond and redirect the conversation towards mental health.
“I go out every single day, blood, sweat and tears," Williams told the O.C. Register's Luca Evans. "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."
MORE: Caleb Williams compares himself to Aaron Rodgers in NFL Combine press conference
Williams later used the remainder of his response for a graphic on his foundation's Instagram page:
"Being an advocate for mental health and trying to show your emotions and express yourself — it's something that I've been doing since I was young, and now being on the national level, being able to try and share that awareness with the public and me doing what I just did on Saturday, even though it was far from what I was trying to do, it showed and spread that awareness."
Debates have raged on since that night, with opinions landing on both ends of the spectrum. Some have considered Williams' emotions to be a red flag while others believe it's a refreshing perspective to see from an athlete.
The Bears appear to have landed on the latter end, but they'll just have to hope that those are tears of joy going forward.
