Cadillac Williams, NFL Rookie of the Year, Signs Endorsement Deal With XELR8

Cadillac Williams, NFL Rookie of the Year, Signs Endorsement Deal With XELR8

For more information about XELR8, please visit http://www.XFactorMLM.com

Xelr8 a provider of nutritional foods, beverages and supplements, announced that the Company has signed Carnell "Cadillac" Williams to a three-year endorsement contract providing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneer Running Back and NFL Rookie of the Year to appear in XELR8 marketing campaigns and sales materials, participate in Company events and meetings, and create awareness for the Company's brand and products by wearing XELR8 clothing.


"I'm excited about joining the XELR8 team. I really feel the products make a big difference in how I perform on and off the field, and most importantly I can trust the XELR8 management and staff to do it safely. It really is an honor to have the opportunity to be part of this great team," noted Williams.

An All-American at Auburn University, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was one of the most sought-after players of the 2005 NFL draft. Amassing over 5,000 all-purpose yards at Auburn and breaking the scoring record held by legendary NFL running back Bo Jackson, Williams was the fifth overall pick in the draft, chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their first pick. Cadillac Williams burst on the scene and announced his arrival into the NFL by rushing for 434 yards in his first three games. In addition, he rushed for over 100 yards in each of those games, a first ever for any NFL player. This milestone and league mark was memorialized by the NFL by placing his shoes and gloves in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Williams then continued his amazing season by rushing for three additional 100-yard games, setting the Buccaneers' single- season record with six, and earning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. In addition, Williams was later named as the NFL Rookie of the Year, an award presented to the top rookie in the entire NFL.

Earnest Mathis, Chief Executive Officer of XELR8 Holdings, added, "This is extremely exciting for us. Cadillac represents much of what XELR8 is, a young, dynamic company off to a great start with even greater potential. Cadillac is a great addition to the team, and it's an honor to have such a high-profile individual committed to and trusting our Company."

From the very beginning, XELR8 has been committed to ensuring the safety of its products by using well documented scientific research and credible manufactures that follow stringent guidelines in manufacturing and processing. This level of commitment has afforded XELR8 the confidence of some of the world's top athletes and thousands of customers. This year, XELR8 has introduced a line of general nutritional products called the EDS (Eat Drink Snack) System, which allows for any level of supplement user the ability to integrate healthy, great-tasting, convenient products into their lifestyle. In addition, XELR8 has created an elite line called the Peak Performance System, consisting of specific products that are aimed towards the athlete and fitness enthusiast.

"I'm not going to jeopardize my career by taking supplements that could be dangerous or illegal. It was important for me to review all aspects of XELR8's products and company, and after realizing how much time, energy and resources were put into the products to ensure their safety, I knew this is the only team for me," noted Williams.

About XELR8 Holdings, Inc.

VitaCube Systems Holdings, Inc., d/b/a/ XELR8 Holdings, Inc., is a provider of nutritional foods and beverages designed to help enhance physical health and overall performance. XELR8 has developed a comprehensive line of nutritional supplements and functional foods designed in systems that are easy to take, simple to understand, and conveniently fit within a lifestyle. XELR8's commitment to quality, science, and research has earned them a loyal following of over 350 world-class athletes, such as 5-Time Cy Young Award Winner Randy Johnson; Super Bowl Champions Mike Alstott, Lawyer Milloy and Head Coach Mike Shanahan; Olympic Medalist Briana Scurry and two-time Olympian Caroline Lalive; Stanley Cup Winner Blake Sloan; and PGA Tour Professional Tom Pernice, Jr. XELR8 products are only available through independent distributors located throughout the nation.

For more information about XELR8, please visit http://www.XFactorMLM.com

Cadillac Williams The Start of Something Big

In the NFL, Rookie of the Year awards usually portend fabulous careers, and the Bucs are certainly looking ahead when it comes to 2005 winner Cadillac Williams

The Start of Something Big

RB Cadillac Williams gave the Bucs many reasons to celebrate in 2005, but he's only getting started

Feb 03, 2006 -

Cadillac Williams is a young man of few words, a fact those around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers found out about as quickly as they discovered that Williams is a special player.

The panoply surrounding the Super Bowl found that out on Thursday, too, when the league newcomer – strike that; the former league newcomer – was named NFL Rookie of the Year. Williams humbly accepted his award – he had to be prodded by emcee Rich Eisen to actually pick up the trophy – and he made sure to share the credit with his Buccaneer teammates. And he did so with an economy of words, quickly rejoining his fellow Rookie of the Year finalists in a row of seats on the stage.

But the last thing he said during his brief acceptance speech was the best thing, as far as Tampa Bay fans are concerned: “I’m looking forward to another one.”

That would be another season, specifically another season of enormous impact, and hopefully one even greater than the first. That’s the beauty of this specific award, particularly in football. It is usually bestowed at the beginning of a wonderful career.

As baseball fans know, that’s not necessarily the case in every sport. Ben Grieve anyone? How about Todd Hollandsworth, Eric Hinske or Jason Jennings? Ask a Milwaukee Brewers fan about Pat Listach or a Chicago Cubs fan about Jerome Walton.

" The key thing for him, and for all of us, is to come back with a great sophomore year, tack on a few more honors, and this time, hopefully, get to be a Pro Bowl guy."
One has to look a bit harder in the NFL to find rookies who win the ribbon and then fade into an average career or worse. The particular award that Williams won on Thursday, the one determined by fan voting on NFL.com, has only been around for four years, so it’s hard to make a judgment there, although previous winners Jeremy Shockey, Domanick Davis and Ben Roethlisberger seem like a fine bunch to join. But Williams also won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award earlier this month, and the list of players who share that honor is nothing short of brilliant.

One could argue that 2001 choice Anthony Thomas has failed to take off from his award-winning rookie season, but you can go back almost 15 years without finding another player you would put in that category. Mostly they are players who turned into the stars that their rookie seasons foretold – Randy Moss, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Anquan Boldin, Eddie George, Warrick Dunn, Marshall Faulk, Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin and on and on. One can imagine a handful of Hall of Fame acceptance speeches coming from that group, and that’s only since 1993. Barry Sanders is also on that list, as are Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen and Earl Campbell. And Tony Dorsett. Uh, Ottis Anderson, too. Franco Harris. We could go on and on, all the way back to the first winner, a man by the name of James Brown who might be the best running back in the history of the game.

So the Rookie of the Year award in the NFL is a source of genuine excitement, a reason to start looking ahead and dreaming big. That was certainly the reaction at One Buccaneer Place on Thursday, as the news came back from Detroit.

“This is a prestigious honor and well-deserved,” said Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden. “Carnell is a great player, and he will continue to prove that. I can’t wait for the future.”

It’s easy for the Buccaneers to envision much greater seasons in the future for Williams, because his debut campaign, as great as it was, could have easily been much better. His NFL-record 434 rushing yards through the first three games of the season came on 88 carries, making it clear that the Bucs planned to give him the ball as often as possible. A foot injury sustained in Game Two, however, basically scuttled that plan for Games 4-9. When he was fully healthy again and running with abandon over the last six games, he was once again the driving force in the Bucs’ offense. He finished with 1,178 yards, but even conservative thinking would probably put him around at least 1,400 yards without the freak injury.

In retrospect, though, that chain of events might have been just fine. After proving that he could carry a huge load in the first three games despite the general sense that he is undersized for an NFL back, Williams then demonstrated that he could smoothly handle a heavy dose of adversity and pain.

“The one thing about Carnell that I think was a doubt in a lot of people’s minds, but it certainly wasn’t in ours, was his resiliency and his toughness,” said Running Backs Coach Art Valero. “He got off to a great start, he got a little nicked up, and he fought back and he came back and ended up having an outstanding year.”

The Bucs never doubted that the 5-11, 217-pound back out of Auburn could carry the ball on every down. They also never agreed with the “undersized” tag, pointing out that he is roughly the same size as many of the league’s most productive backs. Some of those players with whom he was compared are fellow Rookie of the Year alumni. Now the Bucs believe he can produce the same sort of career numbers.

“He showed everybody that one, he is durable like those other guys that are his size, the Tiki Barbers and the Marshall Faulks and Curtis Martins of the world,” said Valero. “I think he’s got that kind of ability. The key thing for him, and for all of us, is to come back with a great sophomore year, tack on a few more honors, and this time, hopefully, get to be a Pro Bowl guy.”

The funny thing was that two of Williams’ four competitors for the NFL Rookie of the Year award are headed to the Pro Bowl. That’s where San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman and Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu will be a week from Sunday (Tatupu will be playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl first). Along with two more linebackers – Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware and Cincinnati’s Odell Thurman – they formed a tough group for Williams to overcome in the voting. But his victory Thursday among those who eat, drink and sleep football said a couple of things.

One, Williams is the type of player whom fans love to watch.

As noted, the Buccaneer back was also the recipient of the prestigious Offensive Rookie of the Year award given by the AP since 1957. That honor is chosen by a panel of media, which is significant because those voters are very well-informed on the game. However, Williams didn’t get too strong of a competition from any of the other offensive rookies. There was no full-season QB starter like Roethlisberger, no ultra-prolific receiver like Michael Clayton or Anquan Boldin, no other back who broke 1,000 yards. Frankly, it was an obvious choice.

But when you’re talking about 400,000 fans casting their votes on NFL.com, then you’re talking about a player who captured people’s imagination. Williams was often exhilarating to watch; when he was healthy, there was often a sense that something big was going to happen. And his big plays and big days were memorable.

He stuck the dagger into Minnesota, ground away in Green Bay to kill the Lambeau Curse and tortured the Falcons twice. The Bucs were trying to run out the clock on a third-and-nine run from the 10 in Carolina, and all he did there was go the full 10 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. That wasn’t supposed to happen; a field goal and a 14-point lead was the obvious result. But with Williams, it seemed possible.

And, two, this one was all rookies, not just offensive players.

If there wasn’t another serious threat to his offensive award, there was obvious a legion of defensive stars who could have gotten the nod. Merriman had 10 sacks and looked like a force for years to come in San Diego. Tatupu quickly became the heart of a much-improved Seattle defense, and he was running around making critical postseason plays while fan voting was going on in January.

In that sense, Williams’ victory on Thursday was the equivalent of Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks’ selections as 2005 AP All-Pro First-Teamers on January 9. Barber and Brooks were already Pro Bowlers by that point, but the Pro Bowl has two teams, one for each conference, and multiple players at every position. The AP All-Pro team is basically the single best starting lineup drawn from all the players in the NFL.

That’s something for Williams to get excited about, even if he might not express it too outwardly. More importantly, it’s something for Buccaneer fans to get excited about. And that something is the future.

Carnell Cadillac Williams Background

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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.

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.

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 Baltimore Colts. Williams was also named rookie of the week for the first three weeks of the season, and had his shoes and gloves from week three 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). As of week 13 of his rookie season, Carnell has 5 100 yard games (in 11 starts) and leads all rookies in total rushing yards.

While Williams is proving the season opening was no fluke, the primary concern scouts had on Williams was his durability in the NFL, considering he was injured several times while playing at Auburn. He has shown so far in his rookie NFL season that those concerns are warranted, and only time will tell if he will be able to perform to the standard shown at times during his career.

NFL Awards

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

Cadillac Williams milestone preserved in Canton

Cadillac Williams milestone preserved in Canton
September 29, 2005

Shoes and gloves from Williams’ record on exhibit at Hall of Fame

On Sunday, rookie running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first player in National Football League history to start a career with three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances. In addition, his 434 yards on the ground in those three games surpassed Alan Ameche’s record of 410 set in 1955 as a member of the Baltimore Colts.


The shoes and gloves worn by Williams when he set the new league mark have arrived at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The mementos were placed on exhibit in the Hall’s Pro Football Today exhibition area on Thursday.


“It’s always exciting for visitors to walk through the Hall and see the mementos from greats such as Red Grange or Jim Brown alongside those from the stars of today,” commented Joe Horrigan, the Hall of Fame’s Vice President of Communications/Exhibits. “We are so pleased that Cadillac and the Buccaneers have given us a piece of history to help us with our ongoing mission of preserving the complete story of the NFL and pro football.”


Williams set the record by rushing for 158 yards in the Bucs’ 17-16 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field during Week 3 action. He gained 148 yards in the season opening victory against the Vikings in Minnesota. Williams then ran for 128 yards in Tampa Bay’s win over the Buffalo Bills the following week.


“It’s a tremendous honor to have my shoes and gloves in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We want to keep the momentum going against Detroit, and continue to have a successful year,” commented Williams.


The Pro Football Hall of Fame, which opened in Canton, Ohio in 1963, houses the largest collection on the sport in the world.


Williams’ shoes and gloves will now be among the many items in the Hall’s collection that are related to the Buccaneers. A sampling of Tampa Bay memorabilia in Canton includes:

A game ball awarded to Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon in 1978. He sacked Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton three times as the Bucs downed the Vikings, 16-10 in 1978.
A detachable hand warmer for uniforms that was developed by Tampa Bay equipment manager Frank Pupello.
The helmet worn by Doug Williams during the 1979 NFL season. It includes a custom-made facemask designed to protect Williams’ broken jaw.
The coin used for the coin toss at Super Bowl XXXVII.

Buccaneers RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams named 2005 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

Buccaneers RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams named 2005 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

Buccaneers RB Carnell 'Cadillac' Williams earned three Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards.
DETROIT (Feb. 2, 2006) -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back CARNELL “CADILLAC” WILLIAMS was named the 2005 DIET PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, Pepsi and the National Football League announced today.

More than 385,900 fans voted for the five finalists on NFL.com from January 6 through January 30 to determine which rookie would win the 2005 DIET PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR award. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER was named the 2004 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. Houston Texans running back DOMANICK DAVIS won the award in 2003, while New York Giants tight end JEREMY SHOCKEY won the inaugural award in 2002.

During the regular season and playoffs, more than one million fans voted for the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week and Rookie of the Year. NFL vice president of player and employee development Mike Haynes presented Williams with the award during a press conference in Detroit, the site of Super Bowl XL.

Williams set a Buccaneers single-season record with six 100-yard rushing games in 2005, including three to start the season. He finished with 1,178 yards and six touchdowns on 290 carries. Williams rushed for 148, 128 and 158 yards respectively in Weeks 1-3, announcing his arrival on the NFL scene. He provided the Buccaneers with several strong performances late in the season as the team made its playoff run, including a 112-yard, two-touchdown effort in a Week 14 victory over the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers and a 150-yard, one-touchdown game in a Week 16 victory over the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons. Williams, who attended Auburn University, was nominated for seven Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards, winning three.

The five finalists were chosen after tabulating this season’s fan voting. Each week, five nominees were chosen and NFL fans voted for the winner on NFL.com.

Following were the five finalists for the 2005 DIET PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:

2005 DIET PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
SHAWNE MERRIMAN LB San Diego Chargers
LOFA TATUPU LB Seattle Seahawks
ODELL THURMAN LB Cincinnati Bengals
DE MARCUS WARE LB Dallas Cowboys
CARNELL WILLIAMS RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Diet Pepsi is the official soft drink of the NFL. This is Pepsi‘s fourth year as a league sponsor.

Rookie of the Year: Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay RB
Set a Buccaneers record with six 100-yard rushing games this season, including three to start the season. He finished with 1,178 yards and six touchdowns on 290 carries. Williams rushed for 148, 128 and 158 yards respectively in Weeks 1-3, announcing his arrival on the NFL scene. He provided the Buccaneers with several strong performances down the stretch of the season as well, including a 112-yard, two-touchdown effort in a Week 14 victory over the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers and a 150-yard, one-touchdown game in a Week 16 victory over the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons. Williams, who attended Auburn University, was nominated for seven Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week awards, winning three.

Cadillac Williams, NFL Rookie of the Year, Signs Endorsement Deal With XELR8 Holdings

DENVER, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VitaCube Systems Holdings,
Inc., d/b/a/ XELR8 Holdings, Inc. (Amex: PRH), a provider of nutritional
foods, beverages and supplements, today announced that the Company has signed
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams to a three-year endorsement contract providing for
the Tampa Bay Buccaneer Running Back and NFL Rookie of the Year to appear in
XELR8 marketing campaigns and sales materials, participate in Company events
and meetings, and create awareness for the Company's brand and products by
wearing XELR8 clothing.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050926/FLM015LOGO )
"I'm excited about joining the XELR8 team. I really feel the products
make a big difference in how I perform on and off the field, and most
importantly I can trust the XELR8 management and staff to do it safely. It
really is an honor to have the opportunity to be part of this great team,"
noted Williams.
An All-American at Auburn University, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was one
of the most sought-after players of the 2005 NFL draft. Amassing over 5,000
all-purpose yards at Auburn and breaking the scoring record held by legendary
NFL running back Bo Jackson, Williams was the fifth overall pick in the draft,
chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their first pick. Cadillac Williams
burst on the scene and announced his arrival into the NFL by rushing for
434 yards in his first three games. In addition, he rushed for over 100 yards
in each of those games, a first ever for any NFL player. This milestone and
league mark was memorialized by the NFL by placing his shoes and gloves in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame. Williams then continued his amazing season by
rushing for three additional 100-yard games, setting the Buccaneers' single-
season record with six, and earning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Award. In addition, Williams was later named as the NFL Rookie of the Year,
an award presented to the top rookie in the entire NFL.
Earnest Mathis, Chief Executive Officer of XELR8 Holdings, added, "This is
extremely exciting for us. Cadillac represents much of what XELR8 is, a
young, dynamic company off to a great start with even greater potential.
Cadillac is a great addition to the team, and it's an honor to have such a
high-profile individual committed to and trusting our Company."
From the very beginning, XELR8 has been committed to ensuring the safety
of its products by using well documented scientific research and credible
manufactures that follow stringent guidelines in manufacturing and processing.
This level of commitment has afforded XELR8 the confidence of some of the
world's top athletes and thousands of customers. This year, XELR8 has
introduced a line of general nutritional products called the EDS (Eat Drink
Snack) System, which allows for any level of supplement user the ability to
integrate healthy, great-tasting, convenient products into their lifestyle.
In addition, XELR8 has created an elite line called the Peak Performance
System, consisting of specific products that are aimed towards the athlete and
fitness enthusiast.
"I'm not going to jeopardize my career by taking supplements that could be
dangerous or illegal. It was important for me to review all aspects of
XELR8's products and company, and after realizing how much time, energy and
resources were put into the products to ensure their safety, I knew this is
the only team for me," noted Williams.

About XELR8 Holdings, Inc.
VitaCube Systems Holdings, Inc., d/b/a/ XELR8 Holdings, Inc., is a
provider of nutritional foods and beverages designed to help enhance physical
health and overall performance. XELR8 has developed a comprehensive line of
nutritional supplements and functional foods designed in systems that are easy
to take, simple to understand, and conveniently fit within a lifestyle.
XELR8's commitment to quality, science, and research has earned them a loyal
following of over 350 world-class athletes, such as 5-Time Cy Young Award
Winner Randy Johnson; Super Bowl Champions Mike Alstott, Lawyer Milloy and
Head Coach Mike Shanahan; Olympic Medalist Briana Scurry and two-time Olympian
Caroline Lalive; Stanley Cup Winner Blake Sloan; and PGA Tour Professional Tom
Pernice, Jr. XELR8 products are only available through independent
distributors located throughout the nation. For more information about XELR8,
please visit http://www.xelr8business.com