Rookie back in the Rhett zone Don Banks, The St.Petersburg Times, published 5 December 1994 The Redskins' defense found out Sunday what the Bucs' offensive line already knew. Errict Rhett is going to be heard from. Constantly. If talking trash were a science, Tampa Bay's rookie tailback could pass for a walking laboratory. But running off at the mouth comes naturally to Rhett when he's running over opponents. In Tampa Bay's 26-21 win over Washington, Rhett spoke his mind as never before, posting the second-best rushing day in franchise history: 192 yards and one touchdown on 40 carries. "He definitely has confidence, because you can see that on the field," Bucs right guard Ian Beckles said. "He gets kind of lippy out there, and it gets the defense kind of flustered. But he's running hard. And it doesn't matter how much you talk as long as you're running that hard." Rhett's career-day performance broke Bucs rookie rushing records for one game (Nathan Wonsley's 138 yards against Detroit in 1986) and for a season (his 774-yard season total surpassed Jerry Eckwood's 690 in 1979). And his 40 carries was the third most in team history, bested only by James Wilder in 1983 and '84. "The talking, that's just me," Rhett said. "It just pumps me up. I don't ever want to degrade another player, but I talk a lot in practice and I talk a lot on the field. You could probably call it trash, and other people would call it trash, but I'm just pumping myself up, because I can't play when I'm down." Against the Redskins, the Bucs' second-round draft pick was rarely down. With Rhett carrying the load, the Bucs on Sunday hit season highs in points (26), rushing yards (213) and rushing attempts (48). It was Tampa Bay's most productive game on the ground since a 225-yard effort in a 23-20 win at Detroit, Nov. 13, 1988. "He was running hard," Beckles said. "You can't fake 192 yards. I mean the offensive line can block all they want, but if you get 192 yards you're (rolling)." Rhett, the University of Florida's all-time leading rusher, started rolling early. He had a 48-yard first quarter, duplicated that in the second and slumped to 16 yards in the third. But the Bucs put the ball in his gut and the game on his shoulders in the fourth quarter, when he churned for 80 yards on 13 carries, including a 23-yard romp on the game-winning drive. "It's crazy, man, but he's really out to prove to everybody that he should have been a first-round draft pick," Bucs center Tony Mayberry said. "He believes that and he's really proven it. And we just sit around and reap the rewards of it. He's really come of age. Ooh, that would have been nice for him to get that last 8 yards. Damn. He had 192, huh? That's a hell of a day, isn't it? No wonder I'm so tired." Inserted into the starting lineup ahead of Vince Workman for the ninth game, Rhett struggled that day against the Bears, gaining 20 yards on 12 carries. But in the next four games, including Sunday, Rhett posted three 100-yard days, for 470 yards, or 117.5 per game. With three games remaining, Rhett needs to average only 75.3 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark, a goal that seemed unattainable just four games ago. "That's the key goal for every running back, but that's icing on the cake," Rhett said. "Definitely I wish I would have played a little earlier instead of waiting until the (ninth) game, but that's the way things happened. I learned a lot in those games, and here I am now. I'm enjoying it." Rhett's day Rhett's 192 yards rushing was the second-best day in team history. James Wilder ran for 219 at Minnesota Nov. 6, 1983. His 774 yards on 215 carries set a team rookie season record, besting Jerry Eckwood's 690 in 1979. The 192 yards broke Nathan Wonsley's rookie record of 138 yards against Detroit Sept. 21, 1986. Rhett's 40 carries were the third-most in team history, trailing Wilder's 43 against Green Bay (in OT) Sept. 30, 1984, and 42 at Pittsburgh Oct. 30, 1983. In his past four games, Rhett has rushed for 470 yards, or 117.5 per game. He needs to average just 75.3 in the final three weeks to reach 1,000 yards. Tampa Bay (213 yards rushing) obliterated its season high (125 yards against Detroit Nov. 13). It was the Bucs' best since 225 yards in a win at Detroit Nov. 13, 1988.