Caleb Williams on working through injury recovery — Press Conference

[0:00] hello everybody started off good to be back up here um do not know before you start asking do [0:07] not know if i'm playing yet um have to go through a bunch of medical protocols obviously have to get [0:13] out there and practice do the stress test thing um that obviously you do when you're trying to [0:18] come back from injury or serious injury uh so that's first um second i would like to [0:23] um give thanks to obviously the team uh one the guys um being able to step up obviously you know [0:33] going down and i haven't i haven't been in this position ever in my career but um you know going [0:39] down mid-season and and uh you know the guys stepping up um you know bowing up and and going [0:44] to you know two and one in this situation so shout out to uh you know my room and um you know shout [0:51] out to the you know all the other guys and all the other positions uh second is uh thanks to the [0:57] medical staff uh for i mean we've been we've been working our tail off obviously trying to get back [1:03] as fast as possible um that is the the main goal uh for myself and and and you know for for us um in [1:09] the medical room and then uh shout out to my team at home uh for for being able to uh be so supportive [1:15] of of me and obviously this is it's a it's a tough situation for me being able to um not being able [1:22] to you know play and not being able to practice and not being able to uh be out there with the guys [1:27] which is you know my brothers and it's it's uh it's been frustrating it's been challenging it's been [1:32] um um a situation where i wouldn't say that i wanted it but it was it was it was nice for me to [1:41] be able to um learn from case learn from tice and you know being able to you know see their you know [1:46] how they go about their week and all that um like i said i haven't been in this position and so um it's [1:50] been it's been interesting it's been a learning curve for me um and being able to like i said learn [1:57] how to be in that position and and and still support the guys try and give great energy [2:01] all of that i think you know through the past couple weeks it's been um i've gotten better each [2:07] and each week um and i'm not talking about injury but just being able to handle the injury [2:11] and you know be there and support the guys uh each week each week um and then and then uh lastly um [2:20] is is the other half of my team at home uh you know the the trainer side of of my team at home that [2:26] helped me and you know day in and day out um long nights uh when i get home being able to [2:32] get a bunch more work and treatment and and things like that at home so you know shout out to them [2:36] and then uh uh uh um it's uh you know it's up to it's up to myself and the medical staff to be able [2:43] to um get out there and you know like i said try and go through the stress test try and you know be [2:49] out there practice the lifts you know everything just go through the daily routine uh plus a little [2:54] added obviously just trying to make sure that um you know from from now to whenever i'm given to go [3:00] to play that i'm that i'm on top of this leg uh for the rest of the season and um i've dealt with [3:05] something like this before but it was at the end of season so it's uh you know it's a little [3:08] different situation but uh we're working through it and like i said thanks to all of them and then [3:12] um i would say uh it's uh it's um something that um obviously has been discussed and talked about for [3:27] the past however long i've been out three weeks 25 days 26 days um and uh it's uh it's been it's been [3:36] it's been uh it's been fun to deal with um in that sense because um there hasn't been a right um you [3:45] know way of of putting it um other than there's nothing that has come out that has been right about [3:51] what it is and what it has been and so um yeah that's that's been fun to deal with and so [3:56] um i would say uh from from y'all's side things like that is is being able to um report it and and and [4:06] and go through it in the right way right manner um and then and then from there uh if it's if [4:12] if you haven't heard it from you know boss man himself or you know out of the horse's mouth me [4:18] um you know it would probably be wrong which every single one has been um and so um that's uh that's [4:26] that and that's that's really all i got if you do play on sunday is that because your hamstring is [4:33] completely healed or is that factoring in that the team needs you to return um i mean it'd be a [4:41] mixture of both but a hamstring of of of any person um doesn't doesn't fully heal after [4:50] three weeks four weeks five months um it it takes a while uh but there are certain parameters that allow [4:58] you to uh go out there and play there are certain parameters that um clear you to go um and and and [5:06] lower the risk of of of re-injuring um and obviously just being smart with it throughout the week um and [5:13] then and then obviously in game it's it's game and you got to go play you got to go make plays for [5:17] the team and so um yeah what percentage would you place on it uh i mean i'm um we'll we'll see what [5:26] this this week this week is a is a big week um obviously i go through all the cutting and planning [5:31] and things like that throughout the weeks um or the past couple weeks and you know it's felt good um [5:36] i mean y'all were y'all have been able to see me out there on friday moving a little bit and then [5:40] um obviously the you know before the the packers game i've been able to get out there get out there [5:45] and move so it's it's felt good um but it's you know it's different when you got to go through a [5:48] whole week of practice and you got to prepare for a game and all of that the stress in the mind body [5:51] and spirit and so um yeah i think uh we'll we'll see how it goes this week do you feel you're [5:57] physically in game shape right now do you feel physically like you're good to go like my wind [6:02] uh everything really i mean the strength of our ability uh yeah i mean like i said we'll go through [6:09] the stress the stress uh stress test this week and um at the end of the week we'll make a decision if [6:14] i'm good to go or not and um that's for the betterment of of myself and my health um and then [6:19] also uh for the for the betterment of the team yeah uh it's just being able to do the movements [6:32] that i do every day um was was the challenge and the test that was the portion that was the part [6:37] of it and obviously just trying to stay in um in shape keep my body moving and things like that [6:42] okay what would you say was the injury what would you tell us was the injury it was it was a hamstring [6:47] tear and a pretty serious a pretty serious one did they give you a grade yeah we got a grade but [6:51] i don't i wouldn't say it's uh deserved to be put out there um after all the false ones so [6:58] nice question there was a reaction um on social media to you leaving the field [7:03] um what what's your message just to people who were critical in the way that you left the game [7:13] and the emotion that you showed yeah i'm always going to show emotion especially when i can't be [7:16] out there with the guys uh when something like that happens um when i went through the draft process i [7:23] went to two places and the two places was was here and uh and uh popped over to the vikings for for a [7:28] visit um as we as we all know and um they asked me they asked me what's the what's the difference [7:34] between you and everyone else and it's it's because i care um about the the team the organization [7:39] winning being out there my teammates all of that and so um i care um and and and that's the biggest [7:45] thing this is this is what i love to do this is uh puts a smile on my face uh you know it it's [7:51] everything to me and so um not being able to be out there um was frustrating um that was more of the [7:58] the the the the tears or whatever that was and then um you know it the other half of was just [8:04] everybody making jokes and all of that but that doesn't that doesn't bother me it's uh [8:08] it's uh the the other half of the national or the local and and then putting out false things that [8:15] weren't true um to then allow people to go run with it so um it's all right we'll be back out here [8:21] soon and uh we'll be ready to roll how close to yourself do you feel i mean i can move i can i can [8:28] run i can i had a top speed you know the other day uh one of my highest speeds i've ever hit and so [8:34] um i can move i can run um i got strength um and it's like i said just going through the stress test [8:40] because obviously um fibers and things like that and your hamstrings and muscles have to you know [8:44] connect back together to be able to go out there and uh play a 60 minute game how did you feel having [8:50] an injury that you're dealing with and then also because of that having your character attack yeah [8:56] uh you know uh character i mean my character's been attacked since for a while and so um you [9:02] know it it uh it's just another motivating factor uh when i get out there and uh get going again [9:08] disruptive was this to you with just the momentum of your season everything you spent all off season [9:13] working on specific things you played basically one complete game and then it's just wrong yeah it's [9:19] frustrating like i said i want to be out there and so um you know um it's frustrating uh but but [9:26] i mean we went two and one in the in the time that i was out and so uh we'll see how this week goes and [9:31] then uh you know that'd be three or four weeks or three or four games that i missed uh depending on [9:38] you know how this week goes and so uh you know uh we're still right on track i mean we're a three and [9:43] two team uh going into this week and this is a big week for us what do you think you've learned over [9:48] these last couple weeks even watching from the sideline it's uncharted waters for you like yeah [9:53] um i think being able to uh like i mean i mean case his his first week that that he played um you [10:02] know i mean he was super decisive super you know clean with getting the ball out um operation was [10:08] really clean um getting the ball in the guys hands with you know runner um you know uh run a ball and [10:15] so uh i think i think those are you know one of the main things but that's that's on the you know [10:20] things that y'all could see but you know on the on the things that y'all couldn't see case was here [10:23] working his tail off um you know case was um you know the the the meeting i think ben spoke about it [10:30] uh the the night before of the game the cues have a meeting and uh case was i mean he was sharp as can be [10:37] and so um you know in that meeting it's just you know being able to speak up and communicate and [10:42] throughout the week also saying just case being able to uh step up and communicate and i think [10:46] tyson i i mean took you know took from that and um you know that meeting that that or that whole week [10:51] i would say um you know i think tice did it the next week and you know i think we're going to carry [10:55] on with that where do you think you are psychologically in terms of trusting that as you get back into action [11:01] yeah i mean i i trust myself i trust my body i trust i trust my guys um and so if i'm out there [11:09] i'm out there and it's it's it's full of trust if i'm not out there i need a little more time why [11:14] keep the details of the injury secret because it's not deserving just not deserving next question you [11:21] take exception to it doesn't get wrong so it doesn't like it's a there's some next question thank [11:25] you next question yeah of course obviously john wick too yeah i i love john wick and that was a movie [11:40] that i was watching um and uh i like his his mentality his attitude so um but uh the the trash [11:48] talking stuff wasn't out there uh it's a frustrating that we get our our tails kicked versus a first [11:52] arrival of course um you know that's uh that's um that's that's not the position you want to be in [12:00] um and and and you know my position and not being out there you know it's frustrating so um you know [12:05] i think um i think obviously you you take it you take it on the chin you move on uh but but you learn [12:11] from it and and you use it for fuel throughout the next weeks and and until the end of season how [12:16] how many hours a day would you say you were doing like rehab yeah i'm uh i mean i'm i'm uh probably [12:23] five five plus hours six plus hours a day um obviously i gotta um that's more manual [12:31] that's more actually doing the stuff that's actually moving and and and you know people [12:35] people you know help me do you know certain movements and all of that just to make sure [12:39] everything you know stable strong and all of that but then i get home and i have a bunch of machines [12:44] and things like that that i'll you know i'll sit there sit there in and um and rehab there and you [12:49] know study or you know just sleep or anything like that oh i have no idea uh probably a week and [12:58] a half two weeks i don't know did you consider that you guys have a game thursday after after [13:04] sunday too as far as this week's decision uh no no focus on focus on this game um i think that's more [13:11] of the the medical side of it and and the strength and conditioning side they focus on that uh my job [13:17] is to go out there and you know go as hard as i can in practice uh so i can go through the stress test [13:22] of uh throughout this week and then um and then from there it's you know we'll we'll make a decision [13:28] is that a factor is that a factor on the physical side or no the two the two and five days coming [13:33] off the injury or uh for me or for medical well for me it's medical and telling you about the [13:40] physical medical side of that if i'm good to go i'm good to go if i'm not and it's not ready then [13:44] we gotta gotta wait you created a lot of explosive plays with your legs that's how you got hurt [13:49] will it be difficult at all to have to put that completely out of your head in in the moment when [13:53] you're playing in terms of you'll still be the same guy i'm assuming yeah i'll take off what'd you [13:59] feel when it happened uh i felt the pop i felt the pop that's why i look back didn't you know i look [14:05] back just like everybody else does when you feel a pop i think somebody grabbed you and nobody grabbed [14:10] me did you know right away it was hamstring not like achilles or yeah so when you're in that tent [14:16] there like you knew i mean obviously you were upset but at least you i knew where it was [14:20] yeah but you knew it wasn't gonna be like season ending do you know when you found that out no i [14:24] didn't know it wasn't gonna be season ending a monday mri was yeah in what way did your you mentioned [14:30] your college hamstring did that inform sort of these last three weeks and what in what way did it [14:35] haven't gone through that before yeah it's i mean uh going through a similar uh situation um you know [14:44] a pretty bad hammy tear and so um you know just staying positive staying confident um you know still [14:50] trying to keep my mental sharp and uh uh trying to stay in it like i said that was a little different [14:57] than than um you know last time i had this because it was the last game of the year for me but um [15:02] staying sharp staying on it um and and uh just getting after it what's involved [15:11] it's just it's low yeah data loading it like i mean i mean practice is you know it's it's loading [15:18] it in many different positions just because you got a d-line rushing you so you're putting your body in [15:23] you know positions that uh you can't really replicate um because it's more of a reaction [15:29] um in practice and game and so um you know you're putting yourself in those positions in practice [15:34] and you know that's a stress test of being able to go through a whole week and and and see how it goes [15:38] and then um you know you get to in a week you feel good and you know and and medical approves and [15:44] strength and conditioning approves with my strength um and you know the flexibility of it all all of that [15:49] and you know all the good stuff that they all know but um you know it it's a it's a you know [15:55] team working together trying to get it right awesome thank you to bears