Caleb Williams looks back on culture change between Oklahoma, USC
Caleb Williams has one of the most well-documented football careers in recent history, bursting onto the scene as a true freshman at Oklahoma with an iconic performance off of the bench in the Red River Showdown against Texas. Followed by a transfer to USC where he’d take home the Heisman Trophy and maintain his status as the game’s top overall prospect before being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
Williams’ journey has taken him all across the country, with his next stop now being the Windy City. But on The Pivot Podcast, he revealed that a change of scenery has never been an issue for him throughout his career.
“I lived in DC, I went to Oklahoma, then I came here (Los Angeles), and it goes back to what my parents instilled in me and understanding the place that I want to be, the situation that I want to be in,” Williams explained. “None of this was a culture shock to me because I understood where I was going, what I wanted, and how I was going to do and go about it.”
There’s no question that Norman, Oklahoma and Los Angeles are extremely different in many ways. But because of Williams’ quiet life outside of football, those differences never became too magnified according to the NFL’s latest top overall pick.
“I think those are the biggest things because I’m a normal guy, I go out rarely, I play video games, I like to drive, I’m a foodie, all of that, my other side is football. And so just a normal guy, I don’t get all into the stars and the Hollywood stuff. If you’ve seen, you probably never see anything on me because I stay out of everything and out of the lights and cameras and stuff as much as I can,” Williams said.
“So being here, it wasn’t a change for me. It wasn’t a culture shock because I’ve been doing the same thing since high school, Oklahoma, and now here.”
Outside of his low-key personal life, Williams’ hyper-focus on craft also played a role in his seamless transition from Oklahoma to USC. And will likely play a role once again as he takes the next step in his career to the NFL level in Chicago. All a part of a plan that he and his father had for him since the age of 10.
“You have a goal in mind, you have things in mind to keep you on path. It keeps you out of all the BS that happens. Everybody when I was coming here from Oklahoma and DC … Everybody’s kind of worried about you, everybody’s this and that, and you don’t get caught up in all this stuff when you’re supremely focused on one thing, one goal, one path,” Williams concluded.