Unlike Jackson, this Auburn draftee is able - and willing - to be a Bucs starter, which is music to Jon Gruden.
By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
Published April 26, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - For nearly three months, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams dreamed of the day he'd get a call telling him he had been drafted by the Bucs.
But when Tampa Bay was on the clock with the No.5 pick Saturday, 15 minutes seemed like an eternity.
"Oh, man, I was so nervous because everybody was so pumped up," Williams said. "You heard they're taking Mike (Williams), they might trade down or take this player or that player. I was like, "C'mon, Coach Gruden. You need a back and I'm your guy; I'm willing to do whatever.' Whenever they were on the clock, I was just beside myself. Then it got down to like 40 seconds and I ain't got no phone call yet. I was like, "Man, the Bucs done called somebody else.' Then the call came. What a day."
No matter how it seemed to Williams, the Bucs' wait for a franchise running back was much longer.
When he was introduced Monday at a news conference at Raymond James Financial, Williams wasn't the most relieved person in Tampa Bay. Only three other times have the Bucs used a No.1 pick on a running back: Ricky Bell in '77, Bo Jackson in '86 and Warrick Dunn in '97.
In fact, the only other Auburn running back taken by the Bucs was Jackson, who refused to sign and opted to play baseball. Back in the 1987 draft, Jackson was taken by the Raiders (1987-90).
"I'm definitely no Bo," Williams said. "Carnell's not like Bo."
But at times during his career at Auburn, it was hard to tell the difference. Sharing the backfield with Ronnie Brown, who was drafted No.2 overall by Miami, Williams gained 3,831 rushing yards and broke Jackson's school record with 45 touchdowns.
Gruden said Monday that he would have no trouble starting the season with Williams as the featured back.
"There's no question about that," Gruden said. "You don't pick a guy this high to make him a nickel back or make him an exclusive role player. This guy can play in any situation. I think he can handle the pounding, and he's got durability. He'll play hurt, practice hurt and that's important also.
"I grew up in the SEC, really. I got my first job at Tennessee and I'm well aware of the Auburn Tigers, or War Eagles, or whatever the hell (they) are down there, and the history of backs that have come out of Auburn. I remember Brent Fullwood and Bo Jackson and Lionel James. (Williams) is not only a great player, he is a great guy, and he's a very unselfish, team guy who will do whatever he can to win."
Williams formed a fast friendship with Gruden as a member of his South squad at the Senior Bowl. It was during that week in Mobile, Ala., that the Bucs were able to see Cadillac in various offensive formations. They managed to debunk a belief that he had trouble catching the football.
That label was pinned to Williams during his junior year when he had a couple of key drops against Tennessee and Mississippi.
"It was definitely the Tennessee game, it was a little flare route that could've been a touchdown," Williams said. "I was one-on-one with the corner and I dropped that one. Then there was the Ole Miss game where I had a little flare-out, could've been a touchdown and I dropped that one. Therefore, trying to leave school early, teams said I couldn't catch. I was like, "Can't catch?' So I was like "Oh, wow."'
By the time he left Mobile, Williams had a pretty good idea he hadn't seen the last of the Bucs coaching staff. But Gruden admitted the predraft promises he made to players were insincere.
"I told all the players at the Senior Bowl we were going to draft them," Gruden said. "Every single one of them and more than once. If their family and friends were there, I told them. Then I realized we only had one pick, mostly, in each round. I'll explain that to them when I see them, I'm sure.
"What this kid is every single day is a warrior. He's going to be the last guy to leave and he's going to be the first guy there and he's going to make plays. Off the field, he's a guy you want to build your football team around."
Williams was polite and almost shy in an endearing way Monday. He put on a red Bucs hat that clashed with his brown suit with light blue pinstripes and blue shirt and tie. He barely smiled while holding up a red Tampa Bay jersey, No.1 with "Williams" on the back.
He shared a little about his life off the field. He said he was raised in a family of six by a single mother who worked two and three jobs. His parents separated, but he has a close relationship with his father. He is just 12 hours shy of fulfilling his promise to his mother of graduating from Auburn with a grade point average of 3.0.
"I'm a boring guy," said Williams, who turned 23 Thursday. "I'm one of those guys who likes to sit around, watch a movie, play PlayStation, fiddle around on a computer.
"I know the good Lord blessed me with amazing talent, therefore I don't walk around like I'm some God or something. I'm just a regular guy who the Lord done looked upon."
Cadillac paid attention to the Bucs' draft and knows he won't have to carry the offense. "I wouldn't call myself a savior," he said. He was pleased they drafted two offensive linemen.
"Obviously, there was a lot of jokes among the group, if you have a brand new (Cadillac), you've got to make sure it has a nice garage and you've got to make sure it has a cover and things like that," general manager Bruce Allen said.
The funniest moment Monday occurred when Williams was asked what Gruden said when he finally reached him by phone. Cadillac crinkled his face, the way Gruden does, and launched into a pretty dead-on impression of the coach.
"Hey, Cadillac, You ready to roll?" Williams said, mimicking Gruden. "I said, "Hey coach, let's do it."'
