Bear Digest

Caleb Williams reveals his O-line Avengers and they're real marvels

The Bears QB gave out the Avengers nickname to his offensive line but the team assembled for his protection looks a bit different than the late Stan Lee's creation.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams calls his offensive line the Avengers, although his super hero team of blockers is different than the movies.
Caleb Williams calls his offensive line the Avengers, although his super hero team of blockers is different than the movies. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams had all the attention of comic book and Marvel movie geeks last week after telling everyone he calls his offensive line the Avengers.

On Tuesday, as the Bears began preparing to face Green Bay, he revealed his lineup and it's quite a bit different than the team Samuel L. Jackson put together as Nick Fury in the movie.

"Drew Dalman is—like I said, I call my O-linemen the Avengers—and so all of them collectively form a very formidable team to go out there and go to war with. But Drew Dalman is, I call Drew Dalman the Hulk," Williams said. "He's the brains and all of it, but when he gets out there and on the field, he's strong as can be, fast and, and the right guy for the job for us and my future and our future here.

"So I'm excited for that and I'm happy that he's here with us and with me, and we're gonna keep growing together, and we're gonna keep finding ways to help each other out in this tenure that we have together."

The Hulk is a brute but as Bruce Banner he's one of the smartest human beings on earth.

The rest of the lineup? When Caleb says "Avengers assemble," it doesn't quite look like what it did when Chris Evans did it as Captain America in the movies.

"Yeah, I got Ozzy (Trapilo) is obviously, he's not really in the Avengers, but Wolverine," Williams said.

OK, that's an X-men.

"I have Doctor Strange as left guard with Joe (Thuney)," Williams said.

Dr. Stephen Strange wasn't actually an Avenger in the flicks, but did help them and was on the New Avengers team in the comics. It seems a strange fit for a center, pardon the expression.

However, Strange was known for illusions and being able to pull off magic and Thuney's ability to keep bigger, even faster pass rushers, at bay with technique has been compared to magic in the past.

"From stats to longevity to how he is, I mean, he's Dr. Strange," Williams said. "He just, for some reason, everything just kind of moves how he moves on the football field and things like that. So I feel like all the guys kind of like that one for Joe. I think it was fitting."

The rest of his assembled team?

"I have obviously Hulk as center, I have the Red Hulk as Jonah (Jackson), and then I have Darnell (Wright) as Bucky, because he has the one arm brace," Williams said.

Red Hulk sounds like Jackson wanted to be Hulk but didn't get the job. He's a bad guy, played by Harrison Ford in the last Captain America movie. At least it's better than being the Abomination or something.

As for Wright as Bucky, if the brace fits...

Williams' own name was left out of this group. It was suggested by reporters he is Fury because he's the one behind it all, although they could have also suggested Captain America or Tony Stark.

"I don't know who I am," Williams said. "They'll figure that out."

They'll hope Saturday to assemble and apply their super powers against the Packers, who will be coming to Chicago without Thanos now that Micah Parsons is out for the year.

Nuff said.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.