TAMPA, Fla. – Even before the opening kickoff of the Carolina Panthers' 37-23 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers here, Panthers cornerback Josh Norman was already planning his end zone celebration.

He said he spoke with a league representative to vet his dance, which he calls "riding Delta" after his Saddlebred horse (who has his own Twitter account).

"I told the guy, 'Look, man, this is what I'm gonna do,'" Norman said in the locker room after the game. "He was cool with it. He was like, 'OK.' I don't think he believed me. But I did."

Josh Norman had two of the Panthers' four interceptions on Sunday. (AP) More

The referees thought otherwise. Norman was penalized for "riding Delta," ostensibly because the dance was fine but using the ball as a prop is not, but the bigger story is that a cornerback was so confident he'd score on the Bucs that he was making plans before the coin toss.

"I got a little tip," Norman said. "I knew he was going to continue throwing at me. I was bound to get one of 'em, shoot."

But it wasn't quarterback Jameis Winston continuing to throw at Norman. It was the first pass of the game, and Norman ran it back for six just like Tennessee Titans cornerback Coty Sensabaugh did in Week 1 here.

"Whichever way he want," Sensabaugh said of Bucs receiver Adam Humphries, "I knew I could undercut him."

Norman did the same, jumping a route and running an interception all the way back before "riding Delta." He explained his "tip" as "formations that we study during the week; we just understand and know where we gotta be on the field, and once we're there, we take it."

Rookie quarterbacks often stare down receivers and telegraph passes, and their offensive coordinators often simplify the playbook early in the season. But when cornerbacks are planning celebrations in advance, it means a little more offensive creativity is needed. Norman picked off another Winston throw later in the game, and broke up a key third-down attempt near the goal line. He's one of the league's rising stars on defense, and he knows it.

"I know how cool I am and how I play,” he said, "so keep throwing it. I'm gonna be there for the play, and I'm gonna score."

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