Greg McElroy blasts suggestion Caleb Williams should sit out: ‘Flat out embarrassing’

With USC on a two-game losing streak, many of their hopes for the season have gone up in smoke before the start of November. Even so, anyone who is suggesting that Caleb Williams, the Trojan’s superstar quarterback and the reigning Heisman, should shut it down in favor of his professional future is no friend to Greg McElroy.

This notion, one that Emmanuel Acho started, displeased McElroy as he ranted about it on ‘Always College Football’ on Wednesday. One of his first points was that, at least to him, college football is about a lot more than solely winning the top accolades

“Here’s what I hate – I really hate it, I really, really hate it. I hate when people who played the sport – understand what it’s like to be on a team, understand what it’s like to sacrifice for the greater good – tweet things out suggesting that star players shouldn’t play anymore because there’s nothing left to play for because the only reason why you play college football is to win a national championship or the Heisman Trophy,” McElroy said. “That’s the only reason? It’s not because the game is fun or because you owe it to your teammates to give them the best chance to be successful? Or because you’re representing a school, representing something bigger than yourself?

“It’s not because of any of those things. And, also, by they way, nowadays, here in 2023, it’s certainly not because of NIL? It’s not because you, as a reigning Heisman Trophy winner, have made $2.5 million before we even got into August?” continued McElroy. “It’s certainly not for any of those reasons. But we have people, who actually played the game, suggesting that players should sit out in the mid-season to avoid potential injury risk.”

The fact of the matter is that, to McElroy, this decision would be one that’s made for selfish reasons. He understands that we see it every year, specifically more during the postseason, but he isn’t okay with letting people off the hook for what we all should correctly label as quitting.

“At what point are we recognizing that that is the most selfish thing?” McElroy asked. “If you honestly think that we are in a position to start suggesting that players start sitting things out in the mid-season and to ‘quit’ on your team? We always say ‘opt-out’, right? He’s ‘opting out’. No, no, no – you’re quitting. That’s the correct word. You’re quitting. That’s fine. If you want to be labeled a quitter? By all means.”

Still, even after all that, McElroy thinks that Williams knows better than to make a choice like that. His words were less of a criticism of USC’s QB1 but more so a shot at the idea and the person who shared it. In his opinion, he expects Williams to continue to play because of the letters on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back of it.

“By the way, I don’t think Caleb Williams is going to do any of this. He’s going to play. Why? Because he owes it to his team, he owes it to the USC Trojans to give them a chance,” said McElroy. “I just don’t understand it. For the life of me, I will never understand it and I hate it. I hate it that it’s all about the individual now. College is not some medium to get you to the NFL. College is a platform.”

“USC should be grateful for Caleb’s contributions. Caleb has also benefitted from USC as well,” explained McElroy. “If you put Caleb on ‘Run of The Mill U’? He’s an electric player but there are people who want to see USC. There are people that want to see the Trojans take the field. There’s a reason that USC played football before Caleb Williams arrived and they will play football after Caleb Williams arrived. Guess what? There will still be people that watch after Caleb Williams departs the program.”

It’s unfortunate that a narrative like this could dominate what many believe will be Williams’ final collegiate appearances anyway. With this idea being suggested, it’s something that will follow him up until his very last opportunity to play.

That’s why, among many reasons, McElroy was as irate as he was about the proposal and with the person who made it to begin with.

“To suggest to a player that he should shut it down is absurd,” McElroy stated. “The fact that it came from a guy that actually played? Shame on you. It’s, honestly, flat-out embarrassing.”