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Caleb Williams Salutes Oklahoma Fans, 'Hornsdown4Life' in NFL Declaration

The former Sooners star declared for the NFL Draft on Monday, but thanks OU fans and said he'll "cherished my time at OU."
John E. Hoover|
Caleb Williams Salutes Oklahoma Fans, 'Hornsdown4Life' in NFL Declaration
Caleb Williams Salutes Oklahoma Fans, 'Hornsdown4Life' in NFL Declaration

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Oklahoma Sooners

However Oklahoma fans may feel about Caleb Williams, he made his feelings about Sooner Nation known on Monday.

As the one-time Sooner-turned-USC Trojan declared for the NFL Draft in an Instagram post, he declared his appreciation for OU fans and said he will always “rep Hornsdown4Life.”

Williams, who came off the bench to save the day against Texas and took over the starting job as a true freshman in 2021 before following Lincoln Riley to USC and winning the Heisman in 2022, is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Monday is the deadline for underclassmen to declare themselves eligible for the draft.

Williams said on IG that his time at OU and USC were “the most fun I’ve had playing the game” and acknowledged the fans of both schools.

“I want to thank Sooner Nation for embracing a kid who came to you from Washington DC. I cherished my time at OU,” he wrote. “To my Trojan family, it’s been an honor putting on the cardinal and gold these last two years. I hope I gave you as many good memories as you have given to me. No matter what lies ahead, I will Fight On forever and rep Hornsdown4Life.”

Williams said it’s been his dream to play football ever since he was 10 years old and “my life and passion for the game has never wavered. The gratitude I feel for the opportunity to play this game grows every day.”

Williams passed for 10,082 yards and 93 touchdowns in his three collegiate seasons, with 14 interceptions and an efficiency rating of 169.3 while completing 66.9 percent of his passes. He also accumulated 979 yards and 27 touchdowns rushing.

His one season at OU produced 1,912 yards passing, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions, and a rating of 169.6 with a .645 completion percentage. Williams also rushed for 442 yards and six TDs as a Sooner.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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