Caleb Williams had multiple Heisman moments in USC's pivotal primetime victory over rival Notre Dame on Saturday night at Los Angeles Coliseum.
The sophomore signal-caller went 18-of-22 for 232 yards and one touchdown threw the air, adding 35 yards and three more scores on the ground to cement his status as the frontrunner for college football's highest individual honor.
After the Trojans' impressive 38-27 victory, though, Williams was making headlines for more than his electric play on the field. An up-close photo of his painted fingernails, reading “F*** ND,” from Saturday's game went viral, many celebrating Williams' unique blend of style and competitive fire while others bemoaned it.
You need to look at what Caleb Williams had painted on his fingernails for Notre Dame tonight (photo by AP’s Mark Terrill) pic.twitter.com/Ixyz1DTPBm
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) November 27, 2022
What did both proponents and detractors of Williams' finger-nail message miss? He's been painting NSFW art on his nails for years.
Last year, shortly after transferring to USC from Oklahoma, Williams told ABC's Robin Roberts on Good Morning America that his mother is the inspiration behind his affinity for nail polish.
“My mom was my inspiration. I mean, she's been doing nails since I could remember,” he said. “And she's always done it. I think since she was probably like 14, she's always done it. So, that was a little time before I was born. And so ever since I was born, she's been doing it. I would always sit around or just you know, either I'm playing my game or I'll mess with my mom, I still mess with my mom a lot. So I was playing my game, messing with my mom and kind of just sitting there, she'd always do my nails. I didn't get paint on them, but she'd always do 'em.”
Williams' star will only shine brighter from here.
The Trojans are bound for the College Football Playoff if they beat No. 14 Utah in next week's Pac-12 championship game, and Williams will no doubt be in New York City the following weekend for the presentation of the Heisman Trophy. He'll surely hear his name called toward the very top of the 2024 NFL draft, too.
Get used to Caleb Williams' nail art. Just like his singular greatness, it'll be a fixture of football weekends for years and years to come.
Follow Us
Subscribe