Caleb Williams was one of the breakout stars of this past NFL season. After leading the Chicago Bears past the Green Bay Packers during Wild Card Weekend, Williams threw one of the best passes in recent memory to force overtime against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
Williams and head coach Ben Johnson have breathed new life into the Bears franchise, and the young USC alumnus does things his way.
The quarterback often ruffles more than a few insecure feathers on social media when he’s photographed with his painted nails before or after a game.
Now, Williams has addressed these detractors on “The Rush Podcast” hosted by Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
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Williams talks on the show about first getting his nails done with an ex-girlfriend.
“We were going to the nail salon, and she was like, ‘Why don’t you get this?’ I was like ‘f*** it.’ I know who I am. I know what I like.
“And so I did i,t and it ended up becoming three nails, four nails, five nails, six.”
Williams compares painting his nails to other NFL stars wearing pink cleats or other attire, and he often incorporates an awesome cause into the nail paint, supporting things like mental health support, breast cancer awareness and acceptance of transgender individuals.
“People feel a certain way about it in a masculine sport. I give no f***s. I couldn’t care less. I’m gonna keep doing it. It’s unique to me.”
Caleb Williams supports a hotline with his fingernails. Does he give a shout-out to trans people? | David Banks-Imagn Images
Williams is a favorite here at Outsports, and it’s easy to see why we love his fearless presence on and off the field. The way he does whatever he wants, ignores the people who disagree with him, and embraces what makes him feel the most like himself is certainly inspirational, regardless of his sexuality.
Williams is presumably straight — he talks openly about girlfriends — but the amount of homophobia he’s been subjected to shows some people still have little acceptance of men who go outside the masculine norm with their appearance.
If Williams keeps living unapologetically as himself, it creates pathways for others to do the same and makes professional sports more inclusive acceptance of self-expression.
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