Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams sent an autographed jersey to Pope Leo XIV on July 4, presenting the gift to the first American-born pope in the history of the Catholic Church through the US Ambassador to the Holy See as part of an exchange that carried personal significance for both the player and the pontiff.
Williams, who gifted the jersey through his charitable foundation, inscribed his number 18 with a Latin phrase meaning for the greater glory of God, a motto associated with the Society of Jesus and a direct reference to his alma mater, Gonzaga College High School in Washington, a Jesuit institution founded in 1821.
A jersey with layers of meaning
The inscription connects Williams to Pope Leo in ways that go beyond a sports celebrity sending memorabilia to a notable fan. The Jesuit connection gives the Latin phrase a shared institutional resonance, linking the quarterback’s educational background to the religious tradition that has shaped the pope’s own worldly formation. Gonzaga’s Jesuit founders would recognize the phrase as one of their own, and its appearance on an NFL jersey heading to the Vatican represents an unusual bridge between two very different worlds.
Williams shared an image of the jersey presentation on social media in language that captured his enthusiasm for the moment, describing the pope with the kind of informal warmth that has characterized his public persona since entering the league.
The jersey itself drew secondary attention for a different reason. The white uniform with orange numbers is not a combination Chicago fans are accustomed to seeing from the Bears, raising speculation that the gift may have offered an early preview of an alternate uniform the team is expected to wear during the 2026 season under a league-wide program involving certain conference matchups.
A growing collection from a hometown that claims him
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the College of Cardinals during the 2025 papal conclave, making him the first American to hold the papacy. His Chicago roots have made him the recipient of a steady stream of sports memorabilia from the city’s teams and their supporters since his election.
His collection already included a Bears jersey gifted by the US Vice President in the days immediately following his election, a Chicago Bulls jersey with his papal name on the nameplate presented by the team’s radio broadcaster, and several pieces of White Sox memorabilia including a signed jersey from a franchise icon and a bat associated with a legendary player from the team’s history. He also attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series in person and received the ball from the final out of that series from the catcher who made the play.
The Caleb Williams gift in context
Williams’ decision to route the gift through his foundation and have it delivered by the US Ambassador rather than as a simple fan gesture gave the exchange an element of ceremony appropriate to the occasion. The ambassador’s involvement placed the jersey presentation within the formal context of diplomatic and cultural exchange between the United States and the Vatican rather than as a piece of fan mail.
For Williams, in his second NFL season with the Bears and growing into one of the more culturally prominent players at his position, the gesture combined personal faith, institutional loyalty to his Jesuit education, and an appreciation for the unusual position the pope occupies as both a global religious figure and a Chicagoan who grew up rooting for the same teams Williams now plays for.
