Former overrated college quarterback and mediocre NFL backup Greg McElroy has very strong feelings towards Caleb Williams. More specifically, he has doubts about whether Williams can be “great” as he assesses that Williams has never faced adversity.
So @GregMcElroy I like Caleb Williams. He has one concern: “Caleb Williams has never experienced adversity…I wonder, is there a sense of entitlement to keep him going for another 10 to 12 years?” Do I have a shoulder injury that will let me do that?” Mahomes. ” pic.twitter.com/nJxGI99AIY
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 9, 2024
McElroy knows a thing or two about never facing adversity, as a college quarterback who won a national championship with the least amount of adversity in quarterback history.
During McElroy’s 2009 and 2010 seasons, he benefited from having (arguably) the best group of college running backs in modern times. This gave him the incredible advantage of always having a safety net to support the entire attack when his arm reaches its limits.
- 2009: Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram, and Roy Upchurch combined for 2,708 rushing yards and 27 TDs.
- 2010: Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram and Eddie Lacy combined for 1,981 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns.
McElroy scored fewer touchdowns than any running back in his two years as a starter at Alabama. Just in case you’re wondering if this is because he didn’t have a good receiver, well, Julio Jones was the No. 1 receiver in each of his two years. He was a man.
In addition to criticizing Williams’ lack of “adversity,” McElroy also resorted to dog whistles.
“When you have a player with so many God-given gifts, that’s the challenge. You have to accept him, and you just have to let the mental makeup match the physical makeup. You just want it to be there in line — because playing quarterback in the NFL is half mental and half physical.”
Can we get past this stupid metaphor that athletes have no mental structure? I’m so tired at this point that it’s honestly ridiculous. You can’t run USC’s offense like Williams does without the brains to make everything work.
It didn’t take long for Caleb Williams to recount the adversity he faced.
Let’s go back to school♂️It’s boring rn.
adversity:
“A condition or instance of serious or continuing hardship or misfortune.”Y1. The first grade did not start.
Y2. Pop Hammy Championship Game 1st Q. My Hammy BC loses.
Y3. My last year of college baseball was 7-5. https://t.co/360cZjUGzD— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) April 9, 2024
What’s so infuriating about all this stupidity is that there’s probably something to be said about quarterbacks having to deal with bad situations. There is a history of good players getting drafted by bad teams, and some players not being able to adapt to sudden struggles when they reach the NFL.
But none of that applies to Caleb Williams. He couldn’t get Natty out of the running back group or behind Julio Jones. He wasn’t overrated just because he won a championship. Williams has had to face adversity, and now he’s going through an even tougher time with unfair criticism.
This view of McElroy’s is so absurd that it hurts.
