Cadillac Williams

**Cadillac Williams**
	Cadillac Williams
Position	Running Back
Team	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Number	24
Height	5' 11"
Weight	217 lbs
Age	23
College	Auburn University
Drafted	1st Round, 5th Pick (2005)
Running Style	Speed
Favorite NFL player	Walter Payton

Carnell "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982 in Attalla, Alabama) is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

High school career

Williams started all four years while playing for Etowah High School (Etowah County, Alabama), rushing for 1,729 yards with 23 touchdowns as a junior and 2,612 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior. He was named USA Today Alabama Player of the Year in 2000 and earned high school All-American honors while also being nominated for ESPN.com Offensive Player of the Year. He played defense as well and recorded six interceptions and 78 tackles his senior year.

Quoting Carnell, "The nickname Cadillac came from this guy named Mike Riata." (Raita is a Birmingham sportscaster.) "He gave it to me my junior year in high school. He just said I ran smooth like a Cadillac. Every time he would see me running he would say “there goes the Cadillac.” It just stuck..."

Collegiate career

Williams moved on to Auburn University to play NCAA football and major in Sociology. He teamed up with power running back Ronnie Brown to make a premier running threat of speed and power. However, his first two seasons were marred by injuries. In 2001, he played in nine games before breaking his collarbone and finished the season with 614 yards on 120 carries (5.1 avg.) and six touchdowns. The 2002 season also ended prematurely for Williams as he broke his left fibula against Florida and missed the last six games of the season. He was able to amass 745 yards on 141 attempts (5.3 avg.) and 10 touchdowns in only seven games prior to the injury. In 2003, he stayed healthy and set an Auburn single-season record with 17 touchdowns and gained 1,307 yards on 241 attempts (5.4 avg.).

In 2004, he earned All-American honors and was named to the All-SEC first team as both a running back and return specialist. He led the team in rushing for the third time with 1,165 yards on 239 carries (4.9 avg.) and scored 12 touchdowns. He also finished the season with 1,718 all-purpose yards, the third highest single-season output in Auburn school history.

Williams finished his collegiate career with 3,831 yards on 741 attempts (5.2 avg.) and 45 touchdowns, breaking the all-time Auburn career records of 657 rushing attempts by Joe Cribbs and 43 touchdowns by Bo Jackson while finishing second in total rushing yardage. His career total of 5,033 all-purpose yards also ranks second in school history behind James Brooks.

He has the distinction of earning nine SEC Player of the Week honors in his career, the most in conference history.

Collegiate statistics

Year	G	ATT	YDS	AVG	LNG	YDS/G	TD
Rushing
2001	9	120	614	5.1	55	68.2	6
2002	7	141	745	5.3	65	106.4	10
2003	13	241	1,307	5.4	80	100.5	17
2004	13	239	1,165	4.9	36	89.6	12
Career	42	741	3,831	5.2	80	91.5	45

Note: Bold indicates Auburn University school record.

NFL career

Williams entered the 2005 NFL Draft and was drafted with the 5th pick of the 1st round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He quickly signed a six year contract with the Bucs worth $14,000,000 while fellow running backs who were drafted ahead of him, including former teammate Ronnie Brown, who was drafted 2nd by the Miami Dolphins, and Cedric Benson, drafted 4th by the Chicago Bears, held out of training camp seeking much more lucrative deals.

Jeff Reynolds of Pro Football Weekly predicted Williams as the rookie most likely to have the greatest impact in the 2005 NFL season writing that "At the Senior Bowl, Jon Gruden was salivating over this kid. He pulled him out real early. Don't think that was a coincidence. He's the offense. Gruden has set it up, Cadillac or bust".

The first half of the season for Williams was an up and down affair. Williams rushed for 434 yards in his first three weeks, setting records as the first rookie running back to ever have three consecutive 100 yard games, and rushing for the most yards in the first three weeks of a career, a record previously held by Alan Ameche of the 1955 Baltimore Colts. Williams was also named rookie of the week for the first three weeks of the season and rookie of the month for September. His shoes and gloves from week three were subsequently retired to the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. In week four however, Williams came down with injuries to his ankle and arch in his right foot, causing him to miss two weeks. In the four games he played since, including the game in which he acquired his injury, Williams only managed to rush for a combined 82 yards on limited carries. However, in his next four games, he averaged over 100 yards per game (408). In his rookie season, Carnell has 6 100 yard games (in 14 starts) and leads all rookies in total rushing yards (1,178), rookie of the week honors (3), and is tied with Brandon Jacobs (another former Auburn football player) for rushing touchdowns (6).

On January 4, 2006, was awarded with the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He drew 47 of a nationalwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. He beat the likes of former running mate Ronnie Brown of the Dolphins, who received one vote. Tight end Heath Miller of [[Pittsburgh Steelers|]] and offensive lineman Logan Mankins of [[New England Patriots|]] also received one vote.

NFL statistics

Year	G	ATT	YDS	AVG	LNG	YDS/G	TD
Rushing
2005	14	290	1178	4.1	71	84.1	6

Year	G	REC	YDS	AVG	LNG	YDS/G	TD
Receiving
2005	14	20	81	4.1	15	6.2	0

Sat out two games due to injury

NFL awards

2005 - Rookie of the Week (Weeks 1-3)

External links

CadillacWilliams.com
Carnell Williams at ESPN.com
NFL.com Player Page
Pro-Football-Reference.com - Current Stats