Tampa Bay’s Offense Centers Around Wilder

James Wilder is the type of running back who condenses an offensive playbook into a couple of sheets of paper. Triple spaced.

How much room does it take to type No. 32 left, No. 32 right, swing pass No. 32?

When new Tampa Bay Coach Leeman Bennett surveys his team’s thin defense and ponders the fate of injured All-Pro defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, he cringes. When he thinks about Wilder, he tries to suppress a smile. He can’t.

“I was too excited to realize how tired I was last year,” said Wilder, the Buccaneers’ fifth-year back, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound bulldozer with a halfback’s acceleration. “I had some bumps and bruises, but nothing major. I try not to give the defense a good shot at me. I have speed, power and quickness.”

And frightening numbers.

Wilder, drafted in the second round out of the University of Missouri in 1981, finished third in NFC rushing last year with 1,544 yards and 13 touchdowns on an NFL-record 407 carries. He also ranked No. 2 in the conference with 85 receptions for an additional 685 yards and his combined figure of 2,229 yards was just 16 short of the record Eric Dickerson set in 1984.

“He is tough in both rushing and receiving and he proved it to us in the last game of the season,” said New York Jets’ defensive line coach Ray Callahan. “Wilder droze us crazy in the last game. I told our players to try and rally to the ball and gang-tackle him, but I didn’t know he was that good. I don’t think we played an all-around back in his class.”

Wilder ran for 103 yards and had 60 yards worth of receptions in the season finale against New York, a controversial game which saw lame-duck Tampa Bay coach John McKay infuriate the Jets. In a game the Buccaneers won 41-21, McKay ordered three onside kicks without success in the final 1:21, hoping to get Wilder the ball back for a run at Dickerson’s record. The Buccaneers’ defense then allowed the Jets to score without opposition in the final minute, but Wilder couldn’t add to his yardage total.

Wilder said he understands why the Dickerson mark was such a priority for his teammates.

“The offensive unit worked so hard last year and the season didn’t go right for us,” Wilder said of the 6-10 campaign. “Every guy on that field wanted to see me get the record.”

Green Bay defensive coordinator Dick Modzelewski, who prepares for Wilder twice per season, has seen quite enough of the 27-year-old Pro Bowler.

“He’s just one hell of a running back,” Modzelewski said. “I remember seeing films of him in college and he caught my eye right away. Last year he simply kicked our butts . . . you just can’t make any mistakes against the guy. He looks like he’s running hard all the time and that’s the type of player I respect and appreciate. You can stop him for a half or three quarters and then boom--he’ll bust one on you and the game’s over.”

Wilder ran for 260 yards and caught 15 passes in two games against the Packers last season and Bennett’s early plans to ditch the one-back offense have been shelved. Wilder will again be a lonely man in the Tampa Bay backfield.

“I remember my first game with the Bucs, I fumbled the ball on the first possession,” Wilder said with a hearty laugh. “After that, things started rolling. Football’s a lot of fun, but it’s a business too. A running back’s got such a short period of time in this league and this area’s really slow with endorsements. I figure if I was in a place like New York, the market would really open up for me. I like it here, though.”

Tampa Bay defensive back Beasley Reece doesn’t like to get within Wilder’s zip code during training camp workouts.

“He’s an awesome sight coming through that hole,” Reece said. “He’s just frightening, even in shorts.”