LOS ANGELES — You know it’s real when they meet the parents.
A few minutes before Caleb Williams took to the turf at Allyson Felix Field for USC’s Pro Day, hundreds of low-profile scouts and NFL who’s-who’s milling about in anticipation, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles sauntered over to the families in the bleachers and extended a hand to Williams’ mother Dayna Price.
They exchanged smiles, Poles cracking a joke to a hearty laugh from Price, a custom-embroidered Fight On sewn across the back of her jean jacket. He moved with a handshake to Williams’ father Carl, standing just a few paces away in a bright-red USC tee.
An hour later, after the former Trojans quarterback left the stands buzzing in a tidy Pro Day performance, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus walked over and extended the same treatment.
By the end of USC’s Pro Day on Wednesday, precious little intrigue remained in the Bears’ draft process, a few days after trading incumbent quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They hold the top pick in April’s NFL draft, and they sent an all-out fleet to USC to watch Williams throw, not invisible submarines but plainly visible battleships. Williams and Chicago have been linked for months; with the travel-sized red carpet the Bears rolled out for him on USC’s home turf, it seemed more likely than ever Williams will be USC’s first No. 1 draft choice since Carson Palmer in 2003.
When Williams trudged out to warm up, his first acknowledgement was not from family or a teammate but Chicago Bears receiver Keenan Allen, formerly of Chargers fame. They exchanged a hug, Williams saying later he’d known Allen for a year and it was “exciting” to possibly be playing for the same franchise.
“They trying to see if I’m the right fit to be first pick as a QB, and go and possibly be the face of the franchise,” Williams said Wednesday of his relationship with the Bears. “They’re trying to figure out if this is the…
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