Heartwarming reason why Caleb Williams paints his nails is a touching tribute to ‘inspirational’ mother and her job
Caleb Williams' arms - and hands - are the talk of the NFL right now.
The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft and will likely land with the Chicago Bears to be their new franchise star.
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Williams is an enigmatic personality who is unabashedly himself both on and off the field - which NFL execs 'love'.
His emotional disposition was on full display when he cried in his mother’s arms after his USC team suffered a 10-point loss to Washington last season.
Williams enjoys an incredibly close relationship with his mother and she's the reason he paints his nails.
The 22-year-old has long painted his nails and it became something of a tradition on game days back in college.
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The QB previously said it was a way of representing his mother, Dayna Price, who worked as a nail technician and manicurist for his entire life, and that he enjoys being a trendsetter.
"It started, I would say, three years ago," Williams said in 2023.
"It was my last year of high school. My mom does nails. Let's just start it off there. She's done it my whole life. It's just kind of always been around me. Nobody else does it. I just kinda like to do new things."
In a 2022 interview, he revealed,"My mom was my inspiration. I mean, she's been doing nails since I could remember. And she's always done it. I would always sit around, mess with my mom, and she'd always do my nails."
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Williams has faced criticisms for his unique sense of style.
In March, he waved a pink iPhone case and painted nails while watching USC beat Kansas in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.
NFL's No.1 draft pick Caleb Williams punches back at critics by saying 'your girl' loves his pink lips but his nails are 'clear'
"Lipstick. Nails. Pink Case. Cries and gets cradled by his mother on national TV. Sad," one fan .
Not that the comments bothered Williams, though, who clapped back in a defiant video response at the time.
During an interview with People, he discussed the backlash to his nails.
"I think the nails thing kind of took everybody by surprise," Williams.
"I've been doing it before college, but it took everybody by surprise, just because you don't always see male athletes who play football paint their nails. But I think it's just another way of expression."
Williams' artistic expression hasn't always worked in his favor either.
He famously painted "F*** Utah" on his nails for the Pac-12 Championship which the Trojans lost, 47-24.
That decision ultimately backfired and Williams opened himself up to criticism, including from rival players.
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“He had 'F*** Utah' on there?" Utah's Cameron Rising said after beating Williams.
"That's cute. You know, you can do whatever you want, put whatever you want on your nails. I'm not, not gonna judge you for whatever you do, but yeah, I hope he liked it.â€
"You get to express yourself,†Williams said after the defeat.
"I really only do it on game days. I’m going to see big events, which this is one of the largest events, so I knew that I was going to be wearing a lot of suits and everything like that, so I wanted to just go a little more classy, get some clear coat over it and rock that. It’s just a way to express yourself. There’s no hate. All love."
"It's like when people write things on their wristbands or their tape or anything like that, their shirt under the jersey. There’s nothing too deep to it. Respect all the guys we’re playing against and going out there against."
Williams hasn't always painted his nails as a way to subtly trash-talk his opponents.
Against Washington State, he painted the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline onto his nails to raise awareness for an important cause.
Like them or not, Williams' colorful nails have become part of his signature look.
He's even secured lucrative endorsement deals off the back of them.
Last season, Williams and his mother appeared in a Dr Pepper campaign which includes the QB getting a white 'I Heart Dr Pepper' manicure while his mom looks on.
"I thought it was a really awesome thing that we were able to do together,†Dayna People.
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"I really like all the things that he is able to do at this particular point in his life, not just the football piece of it, but just being able to do so much more."
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