Bear Digest

Potential Bears First-Rounders Make the Motown Rounds

Potential Bears QB Caleb Williams and receiver Rome Odunze flew out together from L.A. to Detroit and settled in for the draft.

Gene Chamberlain

Rome Odunze and Caleb Williams got involved in some of the predraft festivities at Detroit prior to the big day.
Rome Odunze and Caleb Williams got involved in some of the predraft festivities at Detroit prior to the big day. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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The Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze hype continued on Wednesday in Detroit.

Maybe they'll be playing together on a field in Detroit soon?

Williams and Odunze were part of a group of draft prospects who participated Wednesday in an event supporting Special Olympics athletes. The NFL, Unified Flag Football Detroit and Special Olympics Michigan combined to put on a program where the prospects taught athletes of different sills levels basic flag football and practiced with them.

"It was great, I had a blast," Williams told reporters at the Corner Ballpark in Corktown. "I don't know if ya'll were watching, but I had a blast. I was out there running routes, throwing it, defending.

"Just all-around athlete around these kids. It was great to be around them, it seemed like they had a great time."

As for the upcoming draft, Williams said he's prepared for the big moment when he goes on stage with commissioner Roger Goodell.

"As a kid, I did dream of this," Williams said. "I set my goals, went after it, I got it, I' here, I'm ready for the moment.

"I've been preparing mentally for it and obviously phsyically, I put myself in the position to do it."

https://www.wxyz.com/news/nfl-draft/nfl-prospects-caleb-williams-jayden-daniels-take-part-in-detroit-special-olympics-flag-football-camp

Odunze made an appearance with The Rich Eisen Show and explained both how he and Williams had wound up flying out together. It wasn't planned in advance he said.

"It was from L.A.," the Washington wide receiver said. "We flew out from L.A. and we just happened to be on the same plane and he tweeted that he seen me on the plane, said he was a big fan.

"So I had to also let people know that I was also going to get him to Detroit safely."

Odunze had to admit they had talked about the possibility both could wind up together with the Bears. Odunze would be the ninth pick, if he hasn't been selected already or if the Bears decided not to trade back.

There is more to it than fans on the internet getting excited about seeing the two together on social media. Odunze, like Williams,  had a top-30 visit at Halas Hall.

"It went well," Odunze told Eisen. "I thought there was a sense of winning in the air and a sense that, you know, they were going to make things happen and that the team was prepared to go all the way and I think I could be a vital piece in that.

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"They're looking to add a few weapons for Caleb or some protection for him. So it was a good visit."

The last comment might have been a key. The Bears aren't talking about what they want to do at No. 9 and this sounded like information from someone who was there and talking to their decision makers.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.