loving yourself

No. 1 pick Caleb Williams defied homophobes by showing up to the NFL Draft with painted nails

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They derided him as “soft” and compared him to Prince. They said he was too emotional, too “weird” to succeed in the NFL. Caleb Williams may be a Heisman Trophy winner, but he paints his nails pink! He wears dresses!!

Those are red flags, more so than any on-field miscue.

But on Thursday night, the Chicago Bears defied the naysayers and selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

The USC standout is entering a great situation for a rookie: the Bears already have two top-flight receivers (Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore) and one of the best running backs in the NFC (D’Andre Swift). They also drafted Rome Odunze, one of the most talented wideouts in this year’s class.

Williams was thrilled, and fans are already catching on. He broke the Fanatics record for draft night merchandise sales, surpassing Caitlin Clark, who set the mark last week.

“The biggest thing is [the Bears] want to win,” he said following his big moment. “That was the biggest and most important thing.”

When Williams cried in his mom’s arms following a tough loss to rival Washington, football meatheads said he was cooked. But others, such as fellow Heisman winner Robert Griffin III, saw a deeply competitive person.

“Watching Caleb Williams sobbing with his family after losing the game will break your heart,” he posted. “This young man pours his heart out for his team every time he plays. Any NFL team would be lucky to have him as their QB and this emotion shows how much this game means to him.”

Now, that team is the Bears. And they are getting all of Caleb Williams.

Of course he had his nails painted on draft night!

Williams, with his irreverent persona and flamboyant style, doesn’t mesh with the NFL prototype. But he doesn’t care. He told reporters he’s unapologetically himself, because he loves himself.

RuPaul would be so proud!

Related:

Homophobic NFL scouts are comparing expected #1 pick Caleb Williams to Prince, & it’s supposed to be a bad thing?

Caleb Williams is too flamboyant for small-minded football men.

“When I look into the mirror when I wake up around 7:00 a.m., I know who that guy is. I love that guy. I treat that guy with respect, just like I do any other human around me,” he said.

“And that goes a long way for myself. That’s why I am who I am, I do what I do, and I treat myself the way that I do. I know who that guy is. I love that guy, and I’m going to treat that guy as if he’s somebody else who just met me, or is one of my best friends. That’s why I’m so unapologetic about who I am.”

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Despite only being 22 years old, Williams enjoys a self-awareness that many people lack. He pushes back against his detractors, another cardinal sin for a young NFL prospect.

“I go out every single day, sweat and tears. 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,” he said this fall.

“It’s something that I’ve been doing since I was young, and now on a national level being able to try and share that awareness with the public. Me doing just what I did on Saturday, even though it was far from what I was trying to do, it showed and spread that kind of awareness.”

Williams’ closest contemporary is Cam Newton, the MVP QB who was routinely criticized for his expressive style and outfits during his playing days. So it only makes sense they linked up in Detroit on draft night.

They bonded over standing out.

“I paint my nails I wear unique things,” said Williams.

“I can relate,” Newton added.

Constrained by a uniform, it’s apparent that Williams’ nails set the mood for his game. He’s painted them with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, as well as taunts directed towards opposing teams. One of the biggest wins of his college career came in October 2022, when he accounted for four touchdowns in USC’s statement win over Notre Dame. 

During the affair, fans noticed that Williams’ nails represented his intentions. They said, “F— NDXX.”

He says the activity brings him closer to his mom.

“My mom was my inspiration,” he said. “I would always sit around or just you know, either I’m playing my game or I’ll mess my mom, I still mess my mom a lot. So I was playing my game, messing with my mom and kind of just sitting there she’d always do my nails. I didn’t get paint on him, but she’d always do ’em.” 

Speaking of mom, she had a special draft night message for her son.

“I teared up a little bit as I prepare to say this message to you. You must’ve got that crying from me. But continue to be your authentic self,” she said.

With practices starting soon, Williams will be sent right into the fray. We know he’ll be ready, as well as his nails. As Newton put it, “If you can play football and you can win football games in that locker room and for that franchise, nothing else matters.”

With a career 18-8 record at USC, Williams is poised to deliver.

Related:

Caleb Williams, set to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, riles up homophobes with his pink manicure

The USC standout also rocked a pink phone case and wallet at a women’s basketball game Monday.

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