TAMPA - For longer than he's been running pass patterns, Reidel Anthony has heard his first name take on more twists than a button hook and go.

For the record, the rookie wide receiver for the Bucs pronounces it ``REE-dell.'' Always has and always will. Anthony said his name is pretty simple, but he's seen it altered in just about every imaginable way.

Even his father doesn't say it right, Anthony said. Clarence Anthony, the Mayor of South Bay, calls his son ``Re-DELL.''

Then there are the thousands of University of Florida fans, who spent the last three years calling Anthony ``RIDE-dell.'' Maybe it was the southern accent, but the name spread.

``I just tried not to pay any attention to it,'' Anthony said. ``There wasn't very much I could do to stop it. I really don't care what people call me as long as they know who I am.''

Four weeks into the season, everybody's starting to catch on to Anthony's identity. No matter how they say his first name, it's obvious Anthony is becoming a legitimate threat.

``He's understanding the NFL game and that there's more to it than just catching passes,'' Coach Tony Dungy said.

Like catching passes for touchdowns. Anthony got his first in Sunday's 31-21 victory against the Miami Dolphins. It came on a picture-perfect 38-yard bomb from Trent Dilfer. Anthony made it look easy, but that hasn't always been the case in his rookie season.

The touchdown pass came only after a spirited sideline pep talk from Dilfer.

``I told him I saw him catching passes for Danny Wuerffel and you have to do it for me,'' Dilfer said. ``I went to the sideline before that series and said, `I need some plays from you.' He went out and made a big play.''

Wuerffel was the quarterback who threw most of the 26 touchdown passes Anthony caught at Florida. Dilfer is the quarterback who had been waiting to see production out of Anthony.

``I've been a little hard on him,'' Dilfer said.

But that steady hand might be playing a role in Anthony's progression. He has started the last three games and has made nine catches for 134 yards. He made some mistakes in Week Two at Detroit, but has caught six passes in the last two games.

``He's starting to feel a lot more comfortable,'' receivers coach Charlie Williams said. ``He's getting better each week and he's going to keep on getting better and better all season.''

But getting used to the Bucs' offensive scheme has presented another challenge. Anthony said he's trying to focus on making the most of his opportunities. The problem is there just aren't as many chances as there were with the pass-happy Gators.

``I've had to make my adjustments and figure out that we're not going to throw the ball as much as we did when I was at Florida,'' said Anthony, who caught 126 passes at UF. ``I'm pretty happy where I'm at right now.''

The Bucs insist there will be more opportunities down the road for the player they chose 16th overall in this year's draft. Anthony, 20, came out of college after his junior year and the team believes he's ahead of schedule.

``Miles ahead,'' Dilfer said. ``[New England quarterback] Drew [Bledsoe] said the same thing about Terry Glenn. Drew said Terry Glenn came in and you knew from Day One he was going to be a great player. I felt that way about Reidel, too. Very instinctive. That's his greatest strength, his instincts.''

Those are the instincts that tell Dilfer there are a lot more touchdown passes where the first one came from.

``We'll get to the point,'' Dilfer said, ``where one day he'll be a star.''