Ex USC Player Trolls Caleb Williams Over His Nail Polish After Vikings Loss

Former USC football player Jake Olson mocked Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for rocking nail art after the Bears’ tough loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Olson, the first-ever blind Division I college football player, took to social media after Williams, 23, and the Chicago Bears blew a 17-6 fourth quarter lead and lost at home, 27-24, on Monday, September 9. 

“Caleb starting 10/10 tells me Ben Johnson’s coaching is working,” Olson, 28, shared via X on Monday, referencing Johnson, the Bears’ new head coach. “He’s got a lot to learn, but I think Johnson can teach him. The real question is whether Bears fans have the patience. In the meantime… maybe skip the nail polish, QB1.”

Williams, who has become known for painting his nails throughout his football career, carried a special message on Monday night. The second-year quarterback’s right hand featured the suicide prevention logo and its colors. His left hand featured the numbers 988, the number of the suicide and crisis lifeline. 

September is suicide prevention awareness month, with World Suicide Prevention Day taking place on Wednesday, September 10. 

Williams used Chicago-era nail artist Jeimy Lemus for the poignant gesture. “Thank you for your trust in me 🐻🏈🏟️,” Lemus posted via Instagram on Tuesday, September 9.

While it’s unlikely that Olson knew about Williams’ specific message on Monday night, one fan still let him hear about it in the comments section. 

“He’s wearing nail polish with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline phone number and logo,” the fan wrote. “That’s a bigger issue than anything in football.”

Williams has not responded to Olson’s comment. 

Olson, who lost sight in his left eye before his first birthday and went fully blind at the age of 12, made history as the first blind player in D1 history when he was the long snapper in two games for USC in 2017. 

Williams played two seasons at USC in 2022 and 2023 after transferring from the University of Oklahoma. He won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s most outstanding player in 2022 and was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Bears in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

The quarterback has given credit for his interest in nail art to his mother, Dayna Price.

“She’s been doing nails since I could remember and she’s always done it,” Williams shared on Good Morning America in 2022. “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.”

He added, “I would always sit around or just, you know, either I’m playing my game or I’ll mess my mom, I still mess 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 him, but she’d always do ’em.”

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).