CHICAGO — Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet received a glimpse of Caleb Williams’ competitiveness during a recent trip to Topgolf.

Kmet, Williams and backup quarterback Brett Rypien were among a group that was at the facility until 1 a.m. The outing extended into the early morning hours because Williams was intent on catching Rypien in the standings.

“I was competing to catch up to Brett, then the game turned off, I got cold and after that I tried to reset it,” Williams said. “And I ended up coming in third place instead of second or first, which I was shooting for first.”

USC passing game coordinator Dennis Simmons knows a little bit about that competitiveness — in big moments and small ones — after spending three seasons with Williams, first as the passing game coordinator at Oklahoma and then at USC.

He spoke recently with the Chicago Tribune about Williams’ passion, the misconceptions that surrounded him in the predraft process and why he believes Williams is a quarterback whom teammates will want to play for.

— At what point, either when you were recruiting him or after he got to you, did you come to understand Caleb was special?

It was really early on in the recruiting process. COVID had hit, and we weren’t able to do business and all of the things of that nature. He and his family were organizing visits for other players around the country that we had as prospects to try to finish out the class. So you knew he had some sort of leadership role and organizational skills.

And then he would go out with the skill guys and do private throwing sessions with those guys on his own, where he organized and did all of that stuff. Just the feedback from some of those kids was, “This guy is not just a good quarterback. This is a generational-type, different guy.” When you’re recruiting players, obviously talented guys want to link up with other talented players. Just to hear those compliments and those words used about him by his peers, you knew you had something good.

When he got his opportunity, you look back at the game where he came in, in the Texas game. The first snap he got, he bobbled. He dropped the snap. Where most guys would have taken a knee and ate it, he picks it up and scrambles for about 80. Early on, you knew this dude, if something is off script or not right, he’s not going to fold under the pressure or on the big stage under the lights. You knew right then and there that it’s not really things that you coach. It’s things guys are naturally born with.

— By the time he left, what was the most impressive part of his skill set?

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