Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams currently sits in shoes that Reggie Bush once found himself in ahead of his rookie season. Both taking home Heisman Trophy Awards during their time at USC as dazzling offensive players with high expectations entering the NFL.
Bush was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, while the world watched Williams get picked No. 1 overall just a few months ago to fulfill a prophecy seemingly set in stone since he took home college football’s most prestigious award in 2022. But unlike outsiders, Bush has had a unique perspective of Williams’ prolific young career.
Bush recently sat down with Forbes’ DJ Siddiqi and opened up about his relationship with Williams, pulling back the curtain on advice he’s given him and how he feels his game will translate to the next level.
“I’ve spoken to Caleb multiple times and I’m really excited for him because he’s bringing something to the game,” said Bush told Siddiqi. “He’s bringing excitement to the game. Love the way he plays the game. I was obviously a huge fan when he came to USC and it’s insane what him and Lincoln Riley did together. It was really fun to watch and really fun to see.”
“He’s a true warrior,” Bush added. “He truly battled every time he stepped out on that field. And you can see, he just gave everything he had.”
Williams had one of the most breathtaking college football debuts in recent history, bursting onto the scene in the Red River Rivalry game against Texas as a backup quarterback for Oklahoma down 18 points. Leading the Sooners to a miraculous 55–48 come-from-behind win before taking over as a starter and skyrocketing into stardom after transferring to USC.
Both Williams and Bush’s names can be found all over USC’s offensive record books, both regarded as generational talents and two of the most exciting college players in Trojan and college football history at large. But the NFL is a completely different ball game.
“Obviously, winning the Heisman Trophy was icing on the cake,” Bush said. “But now going to the NFL, he’s going to have to quickly forget about all that and he’s going to have to focus on this new chapter in his life. Because it doesn’t get easier — it gets harder. And those windows close a lot faster in the NFL.”
“He’s going to have to quickly forget about all those accomplishments in college and he’s going to have to turn the chapter — turn that page extremely fast,” suggests Bush. “This is a blank canvas for him.”
Williams is the first college quarterback prospect to draw comparisons to three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, boasting an impressive knack for making heroic off-schedule plays and the ability to make every single throw at any arm angle.
He had to do it all for a struggling USC offense last season, but Bush and other evaluators believe that Williams will have to balance playing within Chicago’s offense with improvising with his legs and making plays downfield to reach his undoubtedly high potential in the NFL.
“Timing is going to be extremely important,” Bush said. “His footwork is going to be extremely important. He’s going to have to protect the football. That’s always number one as a quarterback, protecting the football. But also making plays as well. And those are things that he does well.”
“That’s what makes Patrick Mahomes so great. That’s what makes Josh Allen so great — and Lamar Jackson. These are the type of players I believe Caleb Williams is going to be considered — at the top of his game — amongst those guys.”
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