Chicago Bear Quarterback Caleb Williams said he was “furious” after being tricked by several children into believing that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had accepted the Bears head coaching job.
Williams went viral this week after a video surfaced showing a group of young children texting him under Johnson’s name.
The rookie quarterback, believing the kids, answered a FaceTime call, where the prank was revealed.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin on January 5, 2025. (Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)
Williams appeared to laugh about the encounter during the call, but during an appearance on the “St. Brown” podcast with Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, he revealed how upset he was after the prank.
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“All night long I was getting text messages. Obviously I was getting spam calls from all my friends, like, ‘No way,'” Williams recalled. “I didn’t respond to any texts. I was so angry. Pissed off!”
Williams said he knew the kids were filming and was “trying not to freak out,” but it was a different story when he hung up.
“When I hung up, I was angry. I wanted to break shit. I was angry,” he said with a laugh.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leaves the field after an incomplete third-down pass during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 16, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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Williams doesn’t know how they got his number, which he claims to have had for at least 15 years.
“The text was so official. Like I got this text from college coaches and other coaches before I got drafted and all that. … It looked incredibly professional,” Williams said, adding that he had since changed his phone number.
“I don’t know. I’ve had this number for probably 15 years. I don’t have it anymore. New number. But I’ve had it for 15 years and so on. I don’t know. Someone has to have it gave them. Someone must have said something, otherwise he got lucky and just dialed the number.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leaves the field after a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Despite her immediate reaction to the prank, Williams gave some credit to young fans.
“I’m not going to lie. It was a classic prank. It was an A, S grade prank. I have to give them props. I wasn’t locked in at the time.”
