The Patriots hold a two-day minicamp for the new guys.

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – Wide-eyed rookies sat at temporary stalls in the New England Patriots locker room and wondered what challenges they faced.

At a permanent locker, Dan Koppen knew what they were going through. He was in their position a year ago and progressed to starting center for the Super Bowl champions.

He had some advice for them Friday when the Patriots’ two-day rookie minicamp began.

“Just keep working,” he said. “Anything can happen.”

Last year, Koppen went from being a fifth-round draft choice to starter by the second game of the season.

On the first day of his rookie camp, “I was just nervous and really excited to get things going and find out what the NFL is all about,” he said. “It’s a whole different world up here.”

The Patriots’ top pick this year was calm as he drew most of the media attention in the locker room.

“I’m more excited than nervous,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork of Miami said. “I don’t have any butterflies or anything like that. I’m just so anxious to be up here.”

Then he went out for an hour-long practice with the sun shining and temperatures in the 70s and took part in blocking drills.

Other rookies arrived with their own individual mindsets.

Safety Guss Scott, a third-round choice from Florida, said he was “a little bit” intimidated.

“It’s really just more nervousness. You don’t know what to expect,” he said. “You’ve got to keep your ears open to learn and listen.”

Wide receiver P.K. Sam, a fifth-round pick from Florida State, isn’t depending on past successes to make an impression on the Patriots coaches. Last season, he caught a 52-yard touchdown pass behind Scott with 55 seconds left that gave Florida State a 38-34 win.

“It was probably more luck than skill,” Sam said. “It just barely fell over his arm.”

That didn’t help him much on the first day of the draft last Saturday when he wasn’t picked. He finally went midway through the second day.

“It was a humbling experience. It kind of lit my fire again,” Sam said. “It would have been easy to (be drafted) in the second round and probably have kind of a big head and not worked as hard as I should have.”

Koppen knows that it’s a big jump from college to professional football where the overall talent level is much higher.

“These guys are here for a reason,” he said. “They can all play football. So as soon as they get the mental part of the game they’ll be fine.”

But studying and memorizing thick playbooks is tougher than blocking a linebacker or evading a cornerback whether the player is with a Super Bowl winner or not.

“Their eyes look like saucers, no matter where they are,” coach Bill Belichick said.

The key, Koppen said, is for rookies to “relax, calm down and study your playbook and just enjoy it. Go out and play and have fun and show the coaches what you can do.”

Wilfork had an idea that Koppen might become a successful NFL player when they faced each other in college.

“A lot of people ask me who was the best offensive lineman I faced and he sure is in the top three,” Wilfork said. “He showed everybody last year. I saw this guy last year just dominate.”

Koppen can appreciate what he accomplished in his rookie year now that it’s over and he’s had time to reflect.

“This year was amazing for me and it’s definitely a year I’ll never forget and will always be special to me,” he said. “But it’s almost the second season now, so it’s time to move on.”

AP-ES-04-30-04 1821EDT