Navy SEALs, John Legend and lobster mac & cheese: Inside an NFL rookie's first month

IT HAS BEEN LESS than a month since the NFL draft, and rookies are getting their first taste of being a professional.

For some, that taste is literal as NFL cafeterias dish out their favorites, including the Detroit Lions' lobster mac & cheese. "I was like, 'Wow, this is awesome,''' sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein said.

For others, it's about meeting or hearing from people they grew up admiring, and not just athletes. "John Legend followed me on Instagram," Lions first-round pick Tyleik Williams said. "And, I was like, 'Wow!' He's got, like, I don't know how many million followers [15.8 on Instagram], but he followed me, so it was pretty cool."

For all NFL rookies, the first big step on their new journey was rookie minicamp earlier this month. There were moments of reflection, somewhat embarrassing lessons learned and an introduction to the Navy SEALs mindset. Here are the most vivid memories for five NFL rookies as they recall their first minicamp.

EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL for Washington Commanders first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. during rookie minicamp. There were classroom meetings, drills with coaches and bonding with new teammates.

Until the final day, May 10. That's when the Navy SEALs arrived.

They talked to the rookies for approximately 30 minutes about grit and mindset and what it was like to train like a SEAL. Then they had them perform a drill that reinforced what Commanders coach Dan Quinn often emphasizes: teamwork and communication.

They had three teams -- two with six players and another with coaches -- lift a 250-pound log. Whichever team held it in position the longest won. They squatted with it, did lunges and then held it at their shoulders with the log covering their neck area.

Conerly's six-man crew emerged victorious after about five minutes.

"It gets hard after three or four minutes, to be honest," said the 21-year-old Conerly, an offensive tackle.

But for Conerly and the other rookies in camp, the day reinforced the message Quinn wanted them to receive. Quinn has brought in the Navy SEALs in the past, both when he was in Atlanta and last year with Washington. With the rookies, the goal was to bring everyone together quickly after having been off for a while.

"It was cool, knowing that you all have to be on the same page, hear the same communication, and you just have to move as one at all times," Conerly said. "One thing that kind of stands out to me about Coach Quinn, and one of his quotes, is doing hard ... I'm going to say 'stuff' with good people. That resonates throughout the whole building." -- John Keim

BEFORE HIS FIRST rookie minicamp practice May 9, San Francisco 49ers third-round pick Nick Martin sat in a quiet, mostly empty locker room. He stared at the white No. 45 jersey hanging in his cubicle before flipping it around to see his name in big red letters.

The weight of his path to reach his professional dreams hit all at once.

"I feel like that was the first moment I was like, 'Wow, I'm really here,'" said Martin, a 22-year-old linebacker. "I'm just sitting there like, 'Man, this is a blessing. This is amazing.' It's been a journey, but I mean it's just the beginning. That's the best part about it."

The moment of solitude and introspection was in stark contrast to when Martin set foot in the team facility the previous day.

"Niiiiiick Martin," a voice boomed behind him.

It was four-time All Pro Fred Warner serving as an unofficial welcome party. Warner and Martin had exchanged texts since April's draft.

After the brief greeting, Martin and some of his fellow rookies couldn't help but feel like fans who just met one of their favorite players.

"It was crazy," Martin told ESPN. "It was super dope. Meeting him, everybody kind of was chill and then once he walked away everybody started laughing, like, 'That was Fred Warner!' That was pretty funny."

Martin, who played at Oklahoma State and grew up in Texas, flew from Oklahoma City to Denver and then from Denver to San Francisco on the morning of May 8. Upon landing at San Francisco International Airport, he was shuttled roughly 40 minutes to the SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara.

The work began quickly. Martin arrived around noon, then went to take a physical and start the onboarding process, during which the plan for the rest of the offseason program was explained. He also stopped for a brief interview with local media when his choice of shark slippers became a hot topic.

Within a few hours, Martin and his fellow rookies were in their first meeting, during which defensive installation began.

As a linebacker, Martin has a bit more to learn than some other positions, but he played for multiple coordinators in college and said most of the techniques and concepts are familiar, though learning new terminology is critical to taking the next step.

After that initial gathering, Martin and his teammates had dinner before another meeting. On the morning of May 9, there was yet another classroom session as Martin and his teammates bounced among positional, defensive and team meetings.

Then, at long last, it was finally time for Martin to step onto the field. He joined the rest of the rookies for a workout that went a little longer than an hour. -- Nick Wagoner

AT THE CHICAGO Bears' rookie minicamp in Lake Forest, second-rounder Shemar Turner passed up a golf cart ride from the team facility to the practice fields. The defensive tackle, who was drafted with the 62nd pick, wanted to soak in the feeling of being just a few hours into Day 1 of his dream job.

But reality soon hit when Turner found himself on the ground during a pass-rush drill after going too fast and losing his footing. The 22-year-old knew he had to rein it in if he wanted to make it through 25 consecutive walk-through reps.

"The walk-through wasn't really a walk-through for me," Turner laughed. "I was going full speed, just excited to be playing ball again."

.@TheShemarTurner's taking the scenic route pic.twitter.com/T9eNzAj2Xx

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett noticed Turner's intensity from the moment he stepped onto the field. His disposition is exactly what Allen believes will fit the Bears' revamped line.

"You see explosion and power with this player," Allen said. "I think he's got the right temperament for what we're looking for."

As Turner made his way through three days of minicamp, learning the names of his D-line teammates instead of calling them by their jersey number became easier. Between snacking on brick-oven pizza in the team cafeteria and catered Chipotle to fuel up for the next day's session, Turner's first 72 hours were focused on how he'll need to do his job to be successful.

That includes learning how to harness his energy.

"They [saw] me getting a little winded," Turner said. "They were like, 'Hey, it's a walk-through, temper it down a little bit. We love it, but you've just got to learn how to practice.'" -- Courtney Cronin

FORMER PENN STATE tight end Tyler Warren, who went No. 14 to the Indianapolis Colts, learned early during rookie minicamp that he was going to have to make at least one sacrifice.

Warren made his name wearing No. 44 for the Nittany Lions, an homage to his father's affinity for former Washington running back John Riggins. Father and son began watching Riggins highlights when Warren was a young boy.

"He was a Washington fan growing up, and he was like, 'This is how I want you to run the ball and kind of how I want you to play football,'" the 22-year-old Warren recalled his father saying. "So, I wore 44 in little league and then I got to wear it again in college.

"It kind of just speaks to the way my dad raised me, and the kind of a football guy he was."

But when Warren arrived in Indianapolis and made his way to the equipment room, it was apparent that he might have to part with his beloved number. Linebacker Zaire Franklin, a Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro last season, has worn the number for his entire seven-season career with the Colts. Warren could have tried a Hail Mary to see if Franklin would part with the number, but he decided against such a bold request.

"I knew that was kind of his number, and he's a captain, and I don't really have any spot to try and ask for his number," Warren said after his first rookie minicamp practice. -- Stephen Holder

AS ANDY BORREGALES' flight was landing at Logan Airport on his first trip to New England, the Patriots' sixth-round pick -- No. 182 overall and the first kicker drafted this year -- looked out the window to see Boston Harbor, and he thought of his wife, Stephanie.

"I actually texted her, 'Hey, the water is not that blue here. It's a lot different. But I think you'll love it. And I'm going to love it too,'" the former University of Miami star said with a smile.

Borregales grew up in South Florida after moving to the United States from Venezuela when he was 2, so the experience was something of a culture shock.

Leaving the sandy beaches of Miami for New England's often unpredictable four seasons, Borregales' first two practices of rookie minicamp were held inside because of heavy rain. Temperatures were in the 50s.

Because of the limited space inside, and the Patriots' special teams focus on the punt unit during the initial practice, Borregales kicked before most of the team arrived. Thus, his rookie minicamp experience was unlike most others' around the NFL.

"I had finished my day before everyone got here," he said. "After that, I was helping the long-snapper, Julian [Ashby], get acclimated.

"I was on the sideline, standing there waiting for him to say the word if I could help him with anything. Otherwise, I'm just watching practice and different positions. At the end of the day, I'm a football fan and it's exciting to me. These are my brothers now." -- Mike Reiss

NFL reporter Eric Woodyard contributed to this story.