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Caleb Williams Merely One of Several QBs Who Can Claim Ice Man Title

While Caleb Williams is trying to copyright his new "Ice Man" nickname, it would seem there are several young QBs who could have qualified for this.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams calls the snap count against the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field.
Caleb Williams calls the snap count against the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams has sought to copyright the nickname "Ice Man," in order to use it for marketing purposes much the way Michael Jordan did at the outset of his career.

Attorney Josh Gerben wrote about the bid by Williams to walk in the footsteps of Jordan, more or less.

It's uncertain whether this will get approval, and it could take 14 to 18 months for it to become reality according to Gerben.

As part of this, Williams is seeking to have the logo trademarked, as well. It's the silhouette of him on fourt-and-8 moving and leaping to throw to Rome Odunze for 27 yards and extend late drive in the 21-16 comeback win over Green Bay at Soldier Field in Week 16 last season. The silhouette resembles the one Jordan made famous that some thought came from his dunk contest win but actually is from a photo shoot.

When Williams' trademark story came out this week, it had some Bears fans wondering if he was maybe biting off more than he should be chewing at this point in his career. Some worried bout the big marketing push after he hadn't really done more than get the Bears into two playoff games.

Others think he should be worrying about football instead of marketing, but good luck with that. Kids in college are marketing themselves these days. Could high school kids be next?

The Ice Man nickname, of course, refers to the way Williams closed out games with rallies last year, and to a large extent came about for two reasons. No one in history had more fourth-quarter comebacks for their first two seasons than Williams, who has eight.

Williams, after TD passes, was mimicking soccer player Cole Palmer when he showed how "cold" it was the way he was scoring goals.

Early last year, Bears coach Ben Johnson had said Williams has ice flowing through his veins at crunch time.  It didn't hurt when Bears broadcaster Jeff Joniak started saying "the Iceman cometh" during his call of games after TD passes.

The Ice Men cometh

If any younger player in the league should be marketed as the Ice Man, it's definitely Williams. He has eight fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives in his first two seasons.

However, Bo Nix would have a pretty good case for it, but he hasn't applied for the copyright. Just like Williams, Nix has eight fourth-quarter comebacks after two seasons, but has more game-winning drives with 10.

Tom Brady is the all-time leader with 46 fourth-quarter comebacks and 58 game-winning drives for his 22 seasons in the league. Nix has had the better start in history for the first two years in terms of fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives combined.

Andrew Luck was close to Nix. He didn't have as many fourth-quarter comebacks as Nix or Williams, with seven, but he had 10 game-winning drives for his first two seasons just like Nix.

Peyton Manning is second on the all-time list behind Brady, and had seven fourth-quarter comebacks and eight game-winning drives in his first two seasons to equal Williams' total of 15. Josh Allen nearly hit those numbers as he had six fourth-quarter comebacks and eight game-winning drives in his first two seasons, the same as Russell Wilson, Bernie Kosar, and Justin Herbert. Two other players had 14 combined.

Dak Prescott is right behind Nix for two seasons in game-winning drives with nine, but he had only five fourth-quarter comebacks.  The biggest surprise: Josh Freeman had seven fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives for 14 total, as well.

One other player actually had more combined fourth-quarter comebacks than Williams or Manning in his first two seasons. Like Freeman, it's not someone most people would think. It was Jake Plummer with seven fourth-quarter comebacks and nine game-winning drives.

As good as he was, Brady had only three game-winning drives and comebacks after his first two seasons because he was a backup in the regular season as a rookie.

The trick for Williams now will be continuing to build upon this reputation when there may not be as many opportunities for comebacks and late heroics as he had last season.

It's the kind of reputation that can melt away so quickly for young passers. For instance, when was the last time you thought about Freeman's clutch ability?

Perhaps it is a bit early for copyrights.

Fourth-quarter comebacks

and game-winning drives

QB totals after 2 seasons

1. Bo Nix, 8 fourth-quarter comebacks, 10 game-winning drives. Total 18

2. Andrew Luck, 7 fourth-quarter comebacks, 10 game-winning drives. Total: 17

3. Jake Plummer, 7 fourth-quarter comebacks, 9 game-winning drives. Total: 16

4. Caleb Williams, 8 fourth-quarter comebacks, 7 game-winning drives. Total: 15

4. Peyton Manning, 7 fourth-quarter comebacks, 8 game-winning drives. Total: 15

6. Josh Freeman 7 fourth-quarter comebacks, 7 game-winning drives. Total: 14

6. Justin Herbert, 6 fourth-quarter comebacks, 8 game-winning drives. Total: 14

6. Josh Allen, 6 fourth-quarter comebacks, 8 game-winning drives. Total: 14

6. Russell Wilson 6 fourth-quarter comebacks, 8 game-winning drives. Total: 14

6. Dak Prescott, 5 fourth-quarter comebacks, 9 game-winning drives. Total: 14

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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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