Caleb Williams has High School Jersey Retired, Launches Caleb Cares in D.C.
The saying “You can’t go home again” certainly didn’t have USC quarterback Caleb Williams in mind. The Heisman Trophy winner returned home to Gonzaga College High School to a raucous crowd and wild celebration as the Eagles retired Williams’ No. 18 jersey and celebrated his 2022 Heisman Trophy.
Williams was also back home in Washington D.C. to launch the East Coast presence of his Caleb Cares Foundation. Williams handed out the first D.C. Caleb Cares Hero Award to a local seventh grader.
But as always whenever Williams is present, plenty of attention was focused on the college football superstar. He was introduced to the Gonzaga student body during a pep rally and received a huge ovation.
“It was a bit of an emotional kind of thing, coming back and being one of the guys here,” Williams said to Fox 5 DC’s Chad Ricardo.
“If you know anything about Gonzaga, our pep rallies are pretty sweet,” Williams said to Brandy Flores of D.C. News Now. “Having this pep rally today kind of just brings back a bunch of old memories. And then also having my jersey retired and being up there in the rafters is pretty cool.”
Williams’ No. 18 is Retired
At just 21 years old, Williams’ high school jersey number is retired. And he is guaranteed to have his college jersey retired as well.
His time at Gonzaga had a huge and obvious impact on Williams. The quarterback spoke at length about the school during his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech. He made sure to mention the mantra “Men for Others,” which he uses often in speaking about what drove him to start the Caleb Cares Foundation.
He focuses on anti-bullying and mental health.
“Everybody goes through it, everybody goes through something tough,” Williams said to Flores. “Some go through it more than others. Being able to have an outreach. Being able to use my platform and let everybody know it’s okay.”
The hometown celebration of Williams will continue on Saturday. The USC quarterback will throw out the first pitch of the game between the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals.
