National Football League

Bears' Caleb Williams breaks Caitlin Clark's draft night merch sales record

Updated Apr. 26, 2024 10:10 p.m. ET

The Chicago Bears took USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night, and their new, young signal-caller has the Windy City buzzing.

In fact, Williams broke a record for merchandise sales, setting an all-time Fanatics draft night record for any sport.

Caitlin Clark held the previous record, which she set last week when being selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Clark enjoyed a legendary career at Iowa, which was highlighted by her breaking the Division I scoring record last season.

Williams will wear No. 18 with the Bears, which the team announced Thursday night. He wore No. 13 during his one season at Oklahoma and two seasons at USC.

As for his success on the field, Williams enjoyed a standout three-year college career, which included winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Over his two seasons in Los Angeles, Williams averaged 4,085 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 169.2 passer rating, while completing 67.5% of his passes. He also ran for 21 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Williams is expected to start from the jump for the Bears.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience