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Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze fearlessly vow to raise expectations for Bears: 'What's the reason to duck?'

Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune on

Published in Football

Williams, though, was asked whether his dream-big mentality at least came with a realistic acknowledgment that his rookie season is likely to have significant growing pains.

“I don’t think about it, to be honest with you,” he said. “I think about just doing my job, handling the things I can handle, dealing with the small things, holding everybody accountable and everybody holding me accountable. It’s showing up to work every day ready to go and having fun doing it. If growing pains do come around, it happens with a lot of players. You deal with it in that moment. You handle it. But I don’t think about it.”

Flying high

Williams’ formal Halas Hall introduction Friday came alongside Odunze with both rookies posing for their photo-op with their new navy jerseys — Nos. 18 and 15, respectively. Less than two months ago, the two didn’t know each other well, other than from their November clash in a Pac-12 game won by Odunze’s Washington Huskies 52-42. Odunze had five catches for 82 yards that day. Williams threw for 312 with three touchdowns.

Now, apparently, the two have become fast friends with the last week bringing them together in a way in which it feels as if fate might have intervened.

Let the record reflect, it was on a Delta flight Tuesday — LAX to DTW — where the two rookies united on their current travels, both en route from Southern California to Detroit for the draft. For Odunze, it wasn’t until he boarded that flight and found his seat in first class that he noticed Williams sitting nearby.

 

“It was cool,” Odunze said. “I didn’t know he was going to be on that flight. I thought they might be sending him private. I mean, he’s a big head-honcho over there. But nah. It was dope.”

Williams shared that moment on “X” with a 15-word post.

“Oh (bleep) yall I just saw Rome Odunze on my flight to Detroit!! Big fan!”

To which Odunze replied: “I’m actually the pilot this morning. Don’t worry I’ll get Caleb to Detroit SAFELY!

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