Caleb Williams Salutes Gonzaga College High School's Class of 2020
Caleb Williams is the top quarterback prospect in the 2021 class with scholarship offers from elite programs coast to coast. He has agreed to give Sports Illustrated exclusive access into his world by chronicling everything from his experience as a high profile recruit to his home life and preparation for his senior season. This is 'All on the Line.'
Hey guys!
Welcome back for another week. Happy Memorial Day to everybody. I hope everybody is as festive as they can be while staying safe and staying healthy.
This week is a special week. It's the sendoff week. I just finished school, we just finished school. At Gonzaga we're done with school for the year so it's kind of a big week. This is a sendoff letter to the seniors. Normally, we would all be together, celebrating and having fun. It's kinda insane, but with everything going on we can't do that. These guys have been with me from the beginning so this is especially hard for me.
Obviously I worked out this week, threw a little bit, still been recruiting and doing all of these other things that I've been doing. But I'm not really focusing on that this week. I want to send the seniors off with a goodbye letter. I'm going to see them again but I'm never going to be on the field with them again or be able to throw on these purple jerseys each week and go play with them. So it's a big one.
To the Gonzaga Class of 2020 seniors,
This is a big one for you guys. It's a big one for us. Your graduation marks a big milestone, personally, for you and for those who have supported you through this journey. You've achieved so much through your personal success and we've achieved so much coming behind you as you paved the roads for us.
It's been a lifetime goal for you, a lifetime of work through these four years. The dedication, the commitment to reach this point is absolutely insane. In that time, these four years, we've lost together. We've cried together. Fought together.
We even won a championship together.
We chased our dreams together. I really thank you for giving me the keys to the car and entrusting me, as a freshman coming in at 14 years old, with the starting job. It's one of the biggest spots on the team and one of the bigger leadership spots on the team. I thank you for that.
You exemplify the mantra of, 'Men for Others.' It's showing up every day for your teammates, classmates and for the community. For me, all of you have been big brothers to me. From Rodney to Olu to Luke to Justice, Patrick Matan, all of you guys. The rest of my seniors, all of you have been big brothers to me. You're my bridge from youth ball to high school, basically from a rookie to a starting varsity quarterback, you told me and showed me how to be an Eagle.
You showed me by example how to be selfless and to give everything you have -- and to even give more. You can't ever be satisfied. You displayed honor and leadership. In return you demanded that back from the team. You demonstrated how to put the team above yourself and just go to work. Not to worry about what offers you had, what stats you had, what records you were breaking. We were all trying to reach that end goal and hold up that trophy at the end. Sad we didn't get it this year. Through it all, you taught me how to be a better leader.
Coming in freshman year, I'd never been a big vocal guy, leading-wise. Kind of do it, jump on my back and I'll carry you along. So you taught me leadership in many different ways. You taught me how you have to treat certain people differently. Some people need that yelling, some people need just a talk, some people need some space. You've taught me that and now you're entrusting the class of 2021 to carry that mindset. I really appreciate y'all for passing that down.
To my 2021 brothers, when we were kids freshmen and sophomore year, we talked as kids. We thought as kids and we reasoned as kids. Now we're moving towards manhood. It's time for us to put away the childish ways. I've heard it said that boys do what they want to do and men do what they have to do. It's our time to become men, it's our time to demonstrate the leadership that has been modeled for us in past years and the years before the 2020 class. This is going to be a year unlike any other with special challenges because of the pandemic and also being the 200th year anniversary of our school. But we're built for this.
Whether in the classroom, on the field or in our community, it's our time to leave a legacy with the Gonzaga Eagles. We can't do anything else. We've got to leave here as the best class. That's always the goal, to be the best class. We've had great leadership in the past and we definitely are able to achieve that. It's our time to leave that legacy.
Again, to my guys in the class of 2020, thank you for all that you've done with us and for us. We wish you Godspeed on your journey and I hope that our paths will cross soon again.
Men for Others.
Brothers forever.
Salute to you all.
NEF.
Alright guys, this is more of a tough blog for me, sending these guys, my brothers, off. But I hope everybody is safe, healthy and strong.
Signing off, Caleb Williams: All on the Line.
Make sure you wash your hands.
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Twitter: @CALEBcsw
Instagram: ayeeecaleb
*Photos provided by Caleb Williams