What, Cadillac worry?

After fretting awhile about his ribs, he goes out and shows his mettle.

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER, Times Staff Writer
Published September 17, 2007

With the Bucs up 28-7 in the fourth, Bucs running back Cadillac Williams picks up a first down on a 12-yard run before being taken down on the 22 yard line.
	[James Borchuck | Times]

TAMPA - Cadillac Williams tossed and turned until late Saturday became early Sunday. Not until 4 a.m. did he stop fretting about whether his bruised ribs would permit him to suit up against the Saints.

"To be honest with you, I had no idea how my ribs were going to react to a hit," Williams said. "It still kind of hurt when I laid on my back or on my chest. I'm thinking, 'Gosh, I really don't know how it's going to feel.' But guys were flying around and getting the adrenaline going. I came to play football."

This won't go down as one of Williams' most memorable games. Not for a guy who had his shoes and gloves enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a record-breaking start to his career in 2005.

But it's performances such as the one he turned in during Sunday's 31-14 victory that are the truest measure of a player's mettle.

Williams finished with 24 carries for 61 yards and had a pair of unspectacular 1-yard touchdowns, but what he did helped pave the way for big things in the passing game. And Williams did it while taking hit after punishing hit from a New Orleans defense bent on stuffing the run.

"We tried single-back sets, double tight ends, open-back looks," coach Jon Gruden said. "They did a nice job."

That could have become frustrating, but Gruden showed patience while Williams displayed perseverance.

"The running game in the NFL isn't always about the quality," fullback B.J. Askew said. "Sometimes, it's about the quantity. You can control the clock better and wear a defense down. Sometimes, that's all you have to do. You can't go out there planning to throw the ball 100 times.

"And for Cadillac to stick with it was big. He could have easily come out and said, 'Man, it's too tough.' But he kept pounding away, and that meant a lot to me."

At least Williams was rewarded for the beating he took: His two short scoring runs gave the Bucs their first and last touchdowns of the afternoon. It was his first time reaching the end zone in nearly a year, having not scored a touchdown since Sept. 24, 2006, against Carolina.

Imagine if he skipped the game.

"If you can't play this game hurt or banged up, you shouldn't play because you're never going to feel good," Williams said. "If you're injured, you can't play, fine. But if you're on that borderline, I'm figuring, I can go out there and test it."

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 16, 2007, 22:52:00]