Cadillac Williams is breaking NFL records with eye-popping runs. And he's generating more excitement after the play with arm-pumping celebrations.
The rookie running back is just one of several first- or second-year players whose youthful exuberance has been the flash point for the Bucs' 3-0 start this season.
"A lot of greedy guys, unheralded, guys who love playing football," said cornerback Ronde Barber, in his ninth season. "I look at [tackle] Anthony Davis, and it's not his play. It's his attitude. When was the last time we had a guy like that? And Cadillac, if he gets a big play, he celebrates. He's excited about it. We all feed off that."
The feeding frenzy continued during Sunday's 17-16 win over the Packers in which Williams rushed for 158 yards on 37 carries to become the first player to run for 100 yards in each of the first three games of his career.
Williams leads the league in rushing with 434 yards. That surpassed the record for yards at the start of a career of 410 set by the Colts' Alan Ameche in 1955.
More impressive, he's in an offense that includes two first-year line starters, Davis and rookie left guard Dan Buenning, and is getting significant contributions from second-year receiver Michael Clayton and rookie tight end Alex Smith.
"They have a very quiet arrogance about them, like they expected to come in and do this," said Ike Hilliard, in his ninth season. "It's impressive. It's very encouraging to see as a team to know that a guy like Cadillac can handle this kind of success early and it doesn't change him in any way; then for Clayton to come off of his big year and still be a levelheaded guy.
"If you talk to them, they talk the same. They carry themselves the same. That says a lot."
Williams has been the Bucs' workhorse with 88 carries in three games. At this pace, Williams would finish the season with 469 carries and 2,315 yards, shattering Jamal Anderson's record for attempts (410 in 1998, three more than the Bucs' James Wilder in 1984) and Eric Dickerson's record for yards (2,105 in 1984).
Monday, Williams was still trying to put his start in perspective. Has it sunk in?
"To be honest with you, no," Williams said. "To me, this is just the third week. I'm in this thing for the long haul. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of my career. I know three games would not make that. Therefore, it really hasn't sunk in yet. I'm sure down the road it will."
Williams' performance comes one year after Clayton burst on the NFL scene by becoming only the 14th rookie with 1,000 receiving yards. Hilliard said it's rare for rookies to have such an impact.
"It's not every day that you see certain guys just come into this league and play well," Hilliard said.
"What Cadillac has done being the third back taken in the draft there's a lot to be said about that along with the other young guys we're counting on to continue to make plays for us. If you can build on that, this offense can do some pretty good things."
But youth has been served on defense as well. After a hamstring injury to safety Dexter Jackson on Sunday, second-year pro Will Allen recorded two fourth-quarter interceptions.
"This guy, Will Allen, struggled catching the ball coming in here," coach Jon Gruden said. "I look out my window the entire offseason, and I see him catching passes on the Jugs machine, sometimes by himself, trying to improve his ball skills. And when thrust into action against a guy like Brett Favre, he gets two interceptions.
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