Rory McIlroy leaves room in stitches with hilarious response to Caleb Williams question as future NFL QB visits The Players
Rory McIlory is not the biggest NFL fan in the world.
McIlroy had a strong first round at The Players, ending the day seven-under for a tie with Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark atop the leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass.
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But when another famous sports name was mentioned, the Northern Ireland star drew a complete blank in a hilarious press conference moment.
A reporter asked McIlroy about Caleb Williams, the former USC star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, deciding to follow McIlroy's playing group on Thursday.
"Caleb Williams, never played golf before, probably be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft ... ," the reporter said.
As the words were spoken, an increasingly confused look appeared on McIlroy's face.
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There was an awkward pause.
Then the silence was broken with laughter.
"OK, OK," McIlory said. "Thank you for telling me what sport he plays."
A large smile appeared over the golfer's face, and it was clear that McIlroy had no idea who Williams was - or that the super-talented QB is expected to become the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL Draft in April and soon join the Chicago Bears.
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"Yeah, it's really cool," said McIlroy, describing Williams devoting his free time to The Players tournament and watching McIlroy's group.
But the coolest thing was hearing McIlroy, who has made more than $80million and won 24 PGA Tour events, acknowledging live on camera that he's not keeping up on the NFL Draft and very likely doesn't have a mock draft going.
"Rory still doesn't know which 'football' he meant," a fan jokingly tweeted.
Another post joked that McIlroy now will never be asked to appear on the ManningCast with Peyton Manning.
Williams has long been viewed as a lock to be the No. 1 pick and could soon share a stage with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before a worldwide TV audience.
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The 2024 NFL Draft is set for April 25-27 in the downtown Detroit area.
When Williams declared for the draft, he posted an emotional message on social media that received more than 75,000 likes in 15 hours.
"Since I was 10, all I ever wanted to do was to play football," Williams wrote. "From the 5:30 am breakfast club workouts to the long nights watching film, through every win and every hard loss, my love and passion for the game never wavered."
Williams appeared to have a , interacting with fans, taking photographs and walking all over the course.
If Williams does go to the Bears at No. 1 in April, McIlroy will hear his name more.
And if McIlroy keeps winning big tournaments and Williams becomes a true franchise QB in Chicago, this likely won't be the last time that one of the best golfers in the world and the former USC star cross paths in public.
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