Caleb Williams Sends Pope Leo XIV an Autographed Bears Jersey
The Bears quarterback's No. 18 gift, marked with a nod to his Jesuit school days, found its way to the first American-born pope.
Caleb Williams found a fitting recipient for a Bears jersey this summer. The quarterback sent an autographed No. 18 to Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born pontiff who has never hidden his love for his hometown teams. The gift was presented on July 4 by Brian Burch, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, and it arrived through Williams' Caleb Cares foundation. Williams marked the occasion on Instagram in his own style, captioning the post "shoutout DAAAA POPEEEE."
What made this jersey the right gift for Pope Leo XIV?
Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago native and the first American-born pope in the history of the Catholic Church. His Chicago roots run deep enough that a Bears jersey feels less like a novelty and more like a hometown keepsake. He is also a genuine sports fan, having attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series between the White Sox and the Astros. More recently he received the final-out ball from that championship run from A.J. Pierzynski. A Caleb Williams jersey slots neatly into that collection of Chicago sports memorabilia.
What are the details on the jersey itself?
The jersey is a white No. 18 with orange numbers, part of Nike's "Rivalries" alternate uniform set for 2026. Beyond his signature, Williams added the inscription "AMDG," short for the Latin phrase "Ad majorem Dei gloriam," which translates to "For the greater glory of God." That detail carries a personal thread for Williams, who attended Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., a school founded by the Jesuits in 1821. The motto is a familiar one in Jesuit education, so the inscription reads as a quiet nod to his own school days rather than a generic flourish.
Where does this land for Williams off the field?
The gift adds to a growing collection the pope has received from Chicago sports figures. Pope Leo XIV already owns a signed Paul Konerko jersey and a Nellie Fox bat, along with a custom Bears jersey from Vice President JD Vance and a Bulls No. 14 jersey from broadcaster Chuck Swirsky. For Williams, entering his second year under new coach Ben Johnson and settling into the Bears' offense, it is a warm summer moment routed through his Caleb Cares foundation. He kept the tone light on Instagram, but the gesture connected a young quarterback, his old school, and a pope who still roots for Chicago.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Bears QB Caleb Williams gifts Pope Leo XIV autographed jersey
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