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Graham Ready For A New Nickname

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 17, 2008

TAMPA - The moniker no longer fits him. Earnest Graham would like to hold on to it anyway.

"It's still a big part of who I am," he says.

Not really. Graham no longer plays enough in the preseason to be known as Mr. August.

A week ago, in the Bucs' preseason opener against the Dolphins in Miami, Graham didn't really play at all.

He got the Cadillac Williams treatment. He started the game but he never touched the ball.

Graham didn't mind. As much as he likes being known as Mr. August, he's happy for the chance to trade that nickname in for something new.

"Believe me, I like getting the chance to play from September through January," he said. "Hopefully I can play beyond that this year."

Mr. February. It has a ring to it. Graham could make it happen. He proved as much last year.

The numbers - 271 touches, 1,222 yards and 10 touchdowns - are enough to make you wonder what Jon Gruden was thinking all those years.

Graham sometimes wonders himself. Then again, had Gruden not sacrificed Graham to keep Williams and others healthy, there would be no Mr. August.

"That's how I got my chance," Graham said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity I got to play in the preseason. I might not be where I am today had I not been given that chance."

Where Graham is today is at the top. For the first time in his pro career he leads a depth chart of backs. He doesn't take the position for granted.

"I don't look at it like I've arrived, because I still have a lot to prove," he said. "Most of all, I've got to prove last year wasn't a fluke."

The Bucs are well-prepared if he fails. They have Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett in reserve. Both are clearly part of Plan B.

Plan A calls for the Bucs to lean on Graham - a lot. That's why he's getting his rest now.

"I don't mind it," Graham said. "This way I get a chance to watch other guys like Kenneth Darby or Clifton Smith emerge.

"Besides, when I was playing the whole game in preseason, by the time we got to the regular season I was beat up and tired.

"So no, I don't miss it. But I'll never forget it. Mr. August, that's always going to be part of me, and I'm proud to have that name."

SPEED TO BURN: No one can deny that Bucs defenders Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber are getting older. What can be denied is the belief that the Bucs defense is getting slower.

The Bucs believe an understanding of their scheme and a knowledge of opposing offenses allows Brooks and Barber to play at a pace similar to what they played at years ago.

"Knowledge is speed," Bucs secondary coach Raheem Morris said. "No, Brooks' speed isn't what it used to be. But his speed in 2002 wasn't what it was when he was wearing No. 10 at Florida State, either. It's about playing speed, and we think we have that here."

The Bucs also think they have a lot of the other kind of speed. They've been injecting it into their defense for the last few years and they believe it will show throughout their lineup this year.

"We're as fast as we've ever been at strongside linebacker," Morris said. "And we're just as fast as we've ever been at middle linebacker. We're as fast as we've been at left corner, too. Brian Kelly was a great player, but he wasn't as fast as Phillip Buchanon.

"At strong safety, Jermaine Phillips is faster than John Lynch was, and Tanard Jackson is the fastest free safety we've ever had here. So I don't believe any of that when I hear people say we're not as fast as we were. I think we're just as fast as we were, if not faster."

SHOW ME THE MONEY: Football is not a very popular sport in Russia. Highlights are not shown on TV there, and reports from the NFL are non-existent.

So, it wasn't until he saw football being played in a movie that Russian-born safety prospect Sergei Ivanov got his first look at it. Once he got a look, Ivanov was hooked.

"I watched the movie 'Jerry Maguire' and asked, "What is that game they are playing?'" Ivanov said. "I said, 'I've got to play this game.'"

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