Jaylon Johnson unintentionally set a boundary for his new teammate in March when commenting on the adjustment required for high-profile players entering the NFL.
Essentially, Johnson said Caleb Williams -- or more accurately, players of similar notoriety -- need to be humbled when they get to the league and "can't bring that Hollywood stuff into the building." Now that Williams is officially Johnson's teammate, though, the Pro Bowl cornerback needed to set the record straight.
"That conversation was taken completely the wrong way," Johnson said Tuesday when appearing on the Parkins and Spiegel Show on 670 The Score of his interview on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams. "People, to me, just wanted click-bait and didn't even take into consideration the whole context of the damn conversation. Because when we were talking, she had brought up, 'Oh, how do you feel about Caleb Williams if he comes and you guys draft him? He's like Hollywood, how do you think the Hollywood will come into the locker room?' She kept using the word 'Hollywood.' I never said, 'He's Hollywood, he's this and that.' I don't know the dude.
"As far as I know, Heisman winner, elite dude from Oklahoma who transferred to USC that slings the ball. I mean, that's all I know of the kid. So when she's talking about 'Hollywood, Hollywood,' I'm like, 'Well, if he comes in here being Hollywood, we're going to see through that.'"
Johnson revealed he'd already spoken with Williams about his initial comments and solved the issue. Publicly, though, he still needed to make sure everyone was on the same page before critics could dump cans of fuel on the small fire.
"I cleared the air and was like, 'Hey, that wasn't what it was supposed to be, I don't know you,'" said Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick of the Bears out of Utah. "He hit me and was like, 'Hey, I'm a winner, I just want to win.'
"We had that conversation. I'm like it's all good. Then I talked a little trash about Utah and USC, and it was all good."
Williams has attracted more negative attention in the last year leading up to his first-overall selection than any prospect in recent memory, much of it regarding his ego and/or a narrative that he didn't want to play for the Bears. Much of it was based on reporting, not statements made by Williams on the record. Still, the rumblings drove a negative groundswell that surrounded Williams up until the moment he was selected.
Since he's been drafted, there's been nothing but positive reviews on the quarterback who Bears fans hope will lead them out of signal-calling mediocrity to new heights.
Add Johnson to the list of supporters. After all, he'll need Williams at his best in order for the Bears to realize their potential.
"I can't wait to build a relationship," Johnson said.
