Caleb Williams Is the Chicago Bears’ Necessity

The stories originate from everywhere, from one shining sea to the other. Local SoCal legend, for example, says that there once was this USC quarterback who threw for so many touchdowns in one game—in one half!—that a cheerleading Trojan horse who gallops down the sideline after each score missed a lap because he required a breather. Thousands of miles away in D.C., meanwhile, the cherry trees of our nation’s capital whisper about a teen who clinched the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship with a 53-yard, on-the-nose Hail Mary. (The play even made SportsCenter, as if God’s grace weren’t reward enough.) Some of the most enduring lore springs from the losers: In certain parts of the Lone Star State, haunted memories remain of an Oklahoma true frosh who was spirited straight off the bench and into a rivalry game, turned a 28-7 deficit into a frenzied 55-48 win, and proved that one sure can, and should, mess with Texas.