Caleb Williams Threw a Pass So Hard it Broke a Coach's Wedding Ring

Caleb Williams Threw a Pass So Hard it Broke a Coach’s Wedding Ring

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' greatness has been evident since his high school days, as his athleticism and arm strength was unprecedented for those who coached him.

Williams was the consensus top quarterback recruit in the country out of Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. and the velocity that he put on his throws at a young age foreshadowed what he has become. Just ask his high school offensive coordinator, Danny Schaechter.

During preseason camp in 2018, Schaechter caught a pass from Williams and looked down at his left hand, which was throbbing in pain and covered in blood. He realized that a pass from Williams had broken his wedding ring and cut his finger open.

"I'm like, 'What in the heck did I do?' And then I realized, 'Oh crap, my wedding ring is split in half,'" Schaechter told ESPN. Schaechter now wears his wedding ring on a chain around his neck when he is doing anything football-related, thanks to Caleb Williams.

"Because of Caleb, I take my wedding ring off anytime I'm going to do some football stuff," he said. "I don't want anybody to break my wedding ring, but he was the only one who actually did it."

Williams's arm strength was one of several key traits that helped him get taken with the No. 1 pick in last week's NFL draft.

That arm strength was on display in 2018, and is even more prominent now in 2024.

AAC Football 2024 NFL Draft Recap

AAC Football 2024 NFL Draft Recap

The American Athletic Conference had yet another productive NFL Draft weekend this year. The league may not have had any selections in the first two rounds, but the AAC saw many of last season's best players get picked up from #100 on through the final day.

These are the names of the five players from the AAC in 2024 who were selected during the festivities in Detroit.

RELATED: Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Recap

Luke McCaffrey (Rice WR) - Washington Commanders, #100 Overall

A converted quarterback, the younger brother of Christian McCaffrey took to the wide receiver position very well. He had 126 receptions for almost 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons for Rice. He'll now likely be catching passes from 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels in Washington.

Jordan Magee (Temple LB) - Washington Commanders, #139 Overall

Over the course of his four seasons in Philadelphia, Magee totaled 235 tackles with 31 for a loss and eight sacks. He had over 80 tackles in each of the last two seasons. Magee was, by far, Temple's biggest defensive piece last season, but their loss is the NFL's gain.

Jha'Quan Jackson (Tulane WR) - Tennessee Titans, #182 Overall

Through five seasons with the Greenwave, Jackson hauled in 109 receptions for 1,743 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jackson was an important piece of a two-year stretch at Tulane that included an AAC championship, a win over Caleb WIlliams and USC in the Cotton Bowl, and a record of 23-5.

Tejhuan Palmer (UAB WR) - Arizona Cardinals, #191 Overall

Palmer had 47 receptions, 858 yards, and seven touchdowns for the Blazers in 2023. He becomes the first UAB wide receiver to be drafted since longtime Atlanta Falcon Roddy White in 2005. Palmer measured 6’1”, and 210 pounds with the Blazers.

Michael Pratt (Tulane QB) - Green Bay Packers, #245 Overall

Throughout his four years with the Green Wave, Pratt threw for 9,611 yards, 90 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. The seventh round was admittedly much farther than most thought Pratt would fall, however, getting to backup Jordan Love and learn from Packers' quarterbacks coach Tom Clements is a good spot to be in.

Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Recap

Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Recap

The weekend of the 2024 NFL Draft was a productive one for Confefence USA. In particular, it was something of a historic draft for the UTEP miners with not one, but two selections. Three total players from Conference USA schools heard their names called. With those three selections, CUSA has now seen 62 players chosen in the NFL Draft since 2016.

Here are the important things to know about the latest batch of Conference USA NFL talent.

RELATED: Mountain West Conference 2024 NFL Draft Recap

Malachi Corley (Western Kentucky WR) - New York Jets, #65 Overall

Corley spent all four of his college seasons at Western Kentucky where he hauled 259 receptions for 3,035 yards and 29 touchdowns. Corley was also impressive in Senior Bowl practices, helping him land an opportunity in a Jets offense that needs help to reach rejuvenation.

Tyrice Knight (UTEP LB) - Seattle Seahawks, #118 Overall

Over the previous four seasons, nobody in Conference USA had more tackles than Tyrice Knight. He had 140 in 2023 alone. Knight was the first UTEP player to be drafted since 2018. He finished his college career with 32 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Elijah Klein (UTEP OL) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, #220 Overall

Klein started games at four different offensive line positions this season alone. He made a whopping 50 consecutive starts for the Miners over the last several seasons. With Klein's selection, 2024 marks the first time since 2008 that multiple UTEP players were selected in the NFL Draft.