TAMPA - Just in time, Bucs rookie receiver Michael Clayton remembered he wasn't in college anymore.
In some ways, though, it felt like he was.
Clayton, who played offense and special teams at Louisiana State, had his busiest day as a pro in Tampa Bay's 16-13 loss to Denver on Sunday. He made his first start, caught four passes, bested one of the NFL's top cornerbacks, lost his helmet, scored a touchdown, ran the ball and returned a few punts.
Chances are, the Bucs' first-round draft choice will stay busy.
"I think he is going to be a great player," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "We were asking him to do a number of things for a rookie: returning punts, carrying the ball, being a go-to guy. Being a rookie, I am so excited for him and his future. It's going to be fun to watch this project unfold."
In one of the game's most memorable plays, Clayton beat cornerback Champ Bailey to get open in the Denver secondary and made a spectacular diving catch. In college, the play would have been over, but the whistle did not blow.
No one on Denver's defense had touched him.
Clayton rolled over and scrambled to his feet, picking up his knees just before safety John Lynch sprinted over to tap Clayton on the shoulder. But Lynch, who ran by Clayton instead of tackling him, was too late. Clayton lost his helmet, but kept his wits.
Twenty yards later, he was in the end zone. The play went for 51 yards, the longest of Clayton's young career and second-longest for the Bucs this season.
"We watch film on that where guys fall down and the defense gets lackadaisical," said Clayton, undeterred by losing his helmet after the catch. "We practice that. When you fall, get back up. It clicked in my mind: "I'm not in college. I'm not down yet."'
Lynch, who was fined $7,500 for a late hit on Chiefs receiver Dante Hall in the opener, said he was hesitant to tackle Clayton when he appeared to be down.
"That's how the league is," Clayton said. "He probably could have gotten fined for hitting me. I'm thankful he didn't hit me."
Clayton made a second acrobatic catch on a pass that went through the hands of a Denver linebacker. Clayton reached back with his left hand and tipped the ball to himself for a 23-yard gain at midfield. He finished with four catches for 91 yards.
"Michael is making some tremendous catches," quarterback Brad Johnson said. "He doesn't bobble many balls. He doesn't make the same mistake twice. He's going to be a great Buccaneer for a long time to come."
Looking for playmakers to help his struggling offense, Gruden got Clayton and receiver Charles Lee more involved. Lee had a team-high five catches for 47 yards, though his fumble in the first quarter set up Denver's first touchdown.
"I was trying to make something happen," Lee said. "Any time you're in a crowd, you have to put two hands on the ball. It's always the guy you don't see that knock the ball loose."
Clayton also had a 7-yard gain, taking a pitch from Johnson on an end-around.
Despite his personal success, Clayton was disappointed as the Bucs fell to 0-4.
"We just have to stay positive," Clayton said. "This means nothing. A touchdown means nothing. It didn't help the team win. If I could have made another play down the field, we probably could have gotten over the hump. All the focus is on next week."
