Bear Digest

Bears Have Shot to Draft Fifth Heisman Winner

Caleb Williams confirmed earlier reports about entering the NFL Draft and has the chance to be the fifth Heisman winner drafted by the Bears, who select first.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears Have Shot to Draft Fifth Heisman Winner
Bears Have Shot to Draft Fifth Heisman Winner

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Chicago Bears

The report about Caleb Williams entering the NFL Draft became official via classy messages on social media and now the Bears have the opportunity to draft a Heisman winner for the fifth time.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams confirmed reports from earlier Monday about declaring himself eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft.

"Since I was 10, all I ever wanted to do was to play football," he posted on X. "The journey would be empty without the people who have supported and loved me. I will Fight On forever and rep Hornsdown4Life. I'm ready to do whatever it takes. I am officially declaring for the NFL Draft."

His comment "Fight On," was in reference to USC, and "Hornsdown4Life" about his first college stop, Oklahoma.

Williams had a much longer message on Instagram. In it, he said: "Since I was 10, all I ever wanted to do was to play football. From the 5:30 am breakfast club workouts to the long nights watching film, through every win and every hard loss, my love and passion for the game never wavered," he said in that message. "The gratitude I feel for the opportunity to play this game grows every day. But the journey would be empty without the people who have supported and loved me. To my teammates—my brothers—these last few years have been the most fun I have had playing the game. ..."

The Bears own the first pick via their trade last year with Carolina and if they selected Williams he would be their first Heisman winner since 1995. He won the Heisman in 2022.

The Bears haven't exactly had great success with the past Heisman winners. Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam was the last Bears Heisman winner.  

Salaam broke Beattie Feathers' team rookie rushing record in 1995 with 1,074 yards but had nine fumbles and experienced issues with this throughout his time in Chicago. He then suffered knee and ankle injuries. The Bears eventually released him after three seasons. They tried trading him to Miami, but he failed a physical. After his career, Salaam suffered from severe depression and committed suicide in 2016.

Michigan halfback Tom Harmon (1941), Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack (1949) and Princeton halfback Dick Kazmaier (1952) were the other Bears draft picks who won Heismans. Lujack had the greatest pro success. 

Lujack played only four seasons, from 1948-51, and led the NFL in pass completions (162), passing yards (2,658), touchdown throws (23), yards per pass attempt (8.5) and passing yards per game (221.5) in the 1949 season. He made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl team in 1950 and Pro Bowl in 1951 and then retired before going on to be a running backs coach at Notre Dame.

Neither Harmon nor Kazmaier ever played for the Bears. Harmon was traded to the Rams for halfback Dante Magnani and tackle Fred Davis. Harmon played two years for the Rams but had decided not to play for the Bears when they drafted him, and took a job as an announcer. After his brief Rams career, he became a television sportscaster. 

Kazmaier went in the U.S. Navy and to Harvard Business School rather than play pro football.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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.

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