Welcome to the NFL...rookies

When the 12 Cowboys draft picks arrived at Valley Ranch for their first workout of rookie camp, they felt a little overwhelmed to be in the big show, but they were only competing against fellow rookies.

Then the veterans arrived for the OTA's and Mini Camp and their taste of the NFL got a little saltier.  Now that they've put on the pads for the first two-a-day workout of training camp, Bradie James had to chuckle a bit about what those rooks are going through.

"Oh some of the rookies, they're learning." James said.   "It's not a game that you play in shorts and jerseys.  This was the first day with pads, the guys were getting a little roughed up, but I think the rookies look decent. You have to be consistent.  You can't celebrate one play and have a down play; you can't take a play off, you have to be right every play."

Just a few of the lessons Bradie is trying to teach some of the youngsters who have five more
practices before the new week arrives.  DeMarcus Ware still vividly remembers his rookie season in 2005 coming to the Cowboys from Troy State.  He's now doing his best to mentor another player from a small school, Jason Williams from Western Illinois.

"The thing is right now he's listening, he's listening and he's learning as much as he can" Ware said about the first player the Cowboys drafted this year with the 69th overall pick. "  He's an athlete just in general and he had a great first day today in half pads on.  A lot of the guys who are rookies, they were learning and just moving forward."

You're looking for leaders on the Cowboys?  Looks like you just found two of them in James and Ware.

Much more from Day 2 of Cowboys Training Camp coverage including Desmond Purnell's report on Tony Romo's first chat with the media...tonight on The 33 News at 9:00pm