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By David Moore , Staff Writer Contact David Moore on Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

FRISCO -- One of the first veterans Michael Gallup bumped into at The Star during the Cowboys' rookie orientation was Tavon Austin.

Gallup and the rest of this rookie class are determined to prove they belong in the NFL. That doesn't lessen the anxiety or excitement that exists with the first day on the job.

"I went and shook his hand, and I was kinda like, 'Do I tell him my full name, do I say my middle name?'" Gallup recounted.

"You've got nerves, for sure. These are some big-time cats. You definitely want to make sure you make a good first impression."

That's what this extended weekend is all about. The rookies want to get off on the right foot with their new team. The organization wants to outline its standards and articulate expectations.

Head coach Jason Garrett did this in the staff's initial meeting with the rookie class.

"It's a message we try to share with our whole team, this idea it really doesn't matter where you came from and what you've done up to this point," Garrett said. "The only thing that matters is what you do now.

"That's what we're going to base our evaluations on. We pride ourselves on being as pure as possible in that evaluation. That's an important thing. They need to understand that it doesn't matter where they came from, how much their signing bonus was, we're going to look at what they do and give them an opportunity to help our football team."

The first three players the Cowboys took in April's draft -- linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, offensive lineman Connor Williams and Gallup -- should all help this team. When it comes to expectations, no one carries more than the first-round pick.

Owner Jerry Jones has made comparisons between Vander Esch and former Cowboys middle linebacker Rolando McClain in terms of athletic ability. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli cites the rookie's 6-4, 256-pound frame and spots similarities with Brian Urlacher and Shelton Quarles, players he coached in Chicago and Tampa Bay.

Tap the brakes. Marinelli isn't predicting that Vander Esch will be the next Urlacher. He's talking about the fluid movements all possess for players of their size.

"His length is exceptional," Marinelli said of the Boise State star. "He's tall, he's really rangy. In college, you see a guy become a pass defender like him, great in zone, closes all windows.

"He's got the balance. He's got the instincts. He plays the run well. He plays extremely hard and is very, very bright.

"He's got good traits."

Vander Esch returned to his home in Idaho less than 48 hours after the Cowboys took him on the first night of the draft. He packed a playbook to study.

Did he take any time to relax before returning to The Star late this week?

"Just a little bit," he said. "I mean, it's kinda hard for me to relax, honestly. I feel like at this point expectations are so high, there is no time to relax. There are no days off.

"You've just got to keep truckin' away."

Vander Esch concedes his mind races with what needs to be done. This is his career. He takes it seriously.

But he doesn't allow himself to get overwhelmed.

"You've got to be able to adapt quick, no matter what," Vander Esch said. "That's the type of person you have to be at this level. You've got to be able to take on anything and not worry about it, not stress yourself out, not get all flustered with it."

Gallup takes the same approach. He's the big fish from a little pond, a receiver whose only interest when he was at junior college came from Colorado State.

Now, he's the first receiver the club drafted in the wake of Dez Bryant's release. The third-round pick will be part of a receiving corps that will be dramatically different without Bryant and the retired Jason Witten.

"There are spots that need to be filled,'' Gallup said. "That's an eye-opener for me. I come in here and do my best and hopefully make the squad and find my role on the team. No one has a set spot yet.

"There's definitely an opportunity."

Gallup will wear No. 13 for no particular reason other than it was available.

What about it being unlucky?

"Well, maybe for other people," he said. "It's not going to be for me."

Alvis Whitted was Gallup's position coach at Colorado State. He spent nine years as a receiver in the NFL. His advice:

"He told me it's a big deal," Gallup relayed. "Any team in the NFL, but for the Cowboys to pick you up, that's a great organization and it's a really big deal so you need to get to work."

The work for Gallup and everyone else in this rookie class has begun.

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Head coach Jason Garrett did this in the staff's initial meeting with the rookie class.

"It's a message we try to share with our whole team, this idea it really doesn't matter where you came from and what you've done up to this point," Garrett said. "The only thing that matters is what you do now.

"That's what we're going to base our evaluations on. We pride ourselves on being as pure as possible in that evaluation. That's an important thing. They need to understand that it doesn't matter where they came from, how much their signing bonus was, we're going to look at what they do and give them an opportunity to help our football team."
Works perfectly, other than the fact of Jerry constantly shitting all over it of course.
 
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