From now on, when you go down the list of the greatest players in USC history — a list of luminaries from Matthews to Lott to Allen to Seau to Swann to Polamalu — Caleb Williams’ name will have to be included.
The sophomore quarterback etched his name into the history of USC and college football on Saturday night, being named the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner in a ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Williams, who transferred to USC from Oklahoma in February, is the eighth Trojan to win the Heisman Trophy and first since Reggie Bush in 2005. And he is the third Heisman winner coached by head coach Lincoln Riley, who had two quarterbacks win the award with the Sooners.
Williams quickly established himself as a leader at USC, being voted captain by his teammates after his first fall camp. His exuberance and confidence made it easy for the returning players from last year’s 4-8 to buy into Williams’ as the Trojans’ new quarterback.
Once the season began, it became clear that Williams would repay the faith. The sophomore threw for 4,075 yards and set a record for USC quarterbacks with 372 rushing yards. His 47 total touchdowns (37 through the air) were also a USC record.
Williams lifted USC to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the Pac-12 championship game. He found different ways to lead the Trojans to victory, whether it was throwing for five touchdowns against Arizona or running for three against Notre Dame.
Through it all, Williams did it with his own unapologetic emotion and style. He wore flashy outfits before home games and painted his nails each week, a tradition he’s carried since high school in Washington, D.C.
That style carried over to Manhattan. He wore a tan plaid Gucci suit with three white stripes going up the sides of the pants and jacket.
He had his parents in attendance, along with eight of his offensive linemen whom he invited and flew out with the help of sponsor AC+ION Water. And former USC Heisman winners Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and Mike Garrett stood behind him on stage in New York to the see the torch passed to the next generation of Trojan.
And soon those USC luminaries will need to return to the Coliseum when Williams’ No. 13 jersey is revealed next to theirs near the Peristyle.
