"Running" The Bucs

Earnest Graham is not a rookie, but you probably didn't hear about him until this year. Graham, however, is a four year veteran, been around longer than the Bucs' feature back, Carnell Williams.

But for the first three years of Graham's NFL career he had only rushed for 215 yards and never once found the endzone. But on September 23rd Graham ended his three year scoreless drought in emphatic fashion rushing for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns.

On that day he was a 3rd string runningback, brough on in the fourth quarter long after Tampa Bay had sealed off the win. Next week, however, he will be Tampa Bay's starting runningback. A virtual unknown to the feature back of the NFC South leaders in a mere 4 weeks.

And while many may think that the job is too much for Graham, that the task is too daunting, here in Florida, we know better. For Earnest Graham is not an unknown in the "Sunshine" state, no, down here, we know him well.

There is one common factor amongst football fans throughout the state of Florida, and that is the Florida Gators. You either love them or you love to hate them (I'm in the latter of these categories) but either way you respect their football organization and you know who their star athletes are. You may not know that in 2002 he rushed for 1085 yards and 11 touchdowns, but you remember that he had a career year. You may not recall that during his three year stay at the University of Florida that he amassed 28 touchdowns, but you know that every time you saw a Gator highlight from 2000-2002 you saw Graham in the endzone.

I am not saying that Earnest Graham is the next Ladanian Tomlinson, I am not even saying that Graham is deserving of a starting role. But to be in the NFL you have to be better than good, and Graham is that. And while Caddy is in the shop and Pittman is on the sidelines, Graham has more than enough talent to keep the team on the winning track.