Cardinals Rookies Excited to Get Camp Underway

TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals' freshest crop of rookies is set to hit the field for rookie camp tomorrow - and they're all fairly excited to put cleats on the grass here in Tempe and get to work.

"I just want to meet the whole team. Budda Baker, Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins, guys like that. Of course Kyler Murray, you have to meet him. But I'm just excited to meet everybody on the team," second-round pick BJ Ojulari said to reporters.

The life of an NFL rookie quickly goes from 0-100, as the time period of waiting to hear their name called to putting the first building blocks down of their inaugural year in the league.

"After the draft, been a lot of meetings with my position coach. A lot of phone calls, a lot of paperwork I've been filling out for like pre-physicals and things of that sort. But most importantly, just trying to still stay in shape," said third-round pick Michael Wilson.

"Still training and making sure I'm ready to come in and put on a good performance in rookie minicamp and in OTAs as well."

The world of professional football brings out some of the brightest lights known to man, which can often leave newbies with their eyes wide open in a league where players are fighting for their jobs on a weekly basis.

"I think the biggest thing throughout the time in these last couple of months is just being able to control what I can," said fourth-round pick Jon Gaines.

Yet not all rookies will get the opportunity to start on the field from Day 1, even dating to rookie camp. Third-round pick Garrett Williams is nearing full recovery from a torn ACL.

"Having to bounce back from personal setbacks in a lot of different avenues of life and then always trying to come back even stronger than before. I really pride myself on that and that's why when this happened, at first obviously it's upsetting," said Williams.

"But then I'm seeing it as I can really come back from this and make my story - I see my life like a movie - my movie that much cooler, that much better in the end."

Different stories. Different players. Different backgrounds and roads traveled will all come together for Arizona beginning on Friday.