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Cadillac Williams Back On Bucs' Practice Field

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2008

TAMPA - Starting over. That's pretty much what Bucs running back Cadillac Williams was doing today when he returned to the practice field for the first time since tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee 13 month ago.

"I really do feel it is like my first day, like I'm at a starting point again,'' Williams said before taking the field for the team's regular workout at One Buc Place. "But I'm very excited about it and looking forward to it. It's going to be interesting.''

What will interest the Bucs and Williams the most is how his knee and even the rest of his body react to the demands on a running back in a normal football setting.

Since late last season, Williams has been working out on his own, with only a trainer and his own determination to push him to his limits. Now he has to elude would-be tacklers, jump over fallen blockers and run like there's no tomorrow.

For Williams, though, there is a tomorrow. In fact, there will probably be a lot of tomorrows before the former first-round pick actually suits up and plays in an NFL game again.

Before taking his comeback to the final level, Williams must convince himself and everyone else with the Bucs that he is indeed healthy enough to make a contribution. Then the Bucs must decide whether they want to bring him back, because they don't have to.

Williams began the season and remains on the physically unable to perform list, where he does not count against the active 53-man roster. From today, the Bucs have 21 days to decide whether to activate him or put him on injured reserve. Williams is cautiously optimistic.

"This is the beginning, and so the weeks ahead will tell,'' Williams said. "We'll see how it goes, how I recover from practice. I mean, it's not like I'm going to practice today and then they're going to throw me in there on Sunday and hand me the ball.

"This is something we're going to carefully look at. But I don't have too many issues with [my knee]. To me, it's more in my mind, just to know it's OK, because I did a lot of work. I've put it through a lot. I'm able to do everything [physically]. Now it's me overcoming things mentally.''

Williams said the hardest part of his personal rehab was watching the team practice on one field while he worked out alone on the other.

"You really did feel kind of useless,'' he said. "You've got the team here, and I'm doing my thing. In a way, you really don't feel you're a part of the team. It wasn't a good feeling.''

Williams feels good now. He said several times he is anxious and excited about getting back on the field and finding out how close he really is to returning to action.

"I'm not here to make any promises or anything,'' Williams said. "But it is an exciting time for me right now.''

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