Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said he was “fuming” after being pranked by several kids into thinking 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 kids texting him as Johnson.
The rookie quarterback, who believed the kids, hopped on 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, Wis., Jan. 5, 2025. (Jeff Hanisch-Imagn photos)
Williams appeared to laugh off the encounter during the call, but in an appearance on the “St. Brown” podcast with Lions receive Amon-Ra St. Brown, he revealed how upset he was after the prank.
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“That whole night I was getting texts. I was getting spam calls from all my friends obviously, like, ‘No way,'” Williams recalled. “I didn’t reply to one text. I was so mad. Pissed off!”
Williams said he knew the kids were filming and “tried not to flip out,” but it was a different story when he hung up.
“When I left the call, I was shaking. I wanted to smash some s—. I was shaking,” he said, laughing.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks off the field after an incomplete third down pass in 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 that text from college coaches and other coaches before I was drafted and all that… It looked crazy professional,” Williams said, adding that he has since changed his telephone number.
“I don’t know. I’ve had the number for probably 15 years. I don’t have it anymore. New number. But I’ve had it for 15 years and so. I don’t know. Somebody must I’ve given it to them, somebody must have said anything, otherwise he was lucky and just called.
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 his immediate reaction to the prank, Williams gave the young fans some credit.
“I won’t lie. It was a classic prank. It was a class A, S-tier prank. I have to give them props. I wasn’t locked up at the moment.”
