IRVING, Texas - One might assume it would be difficult to keep track of all 12 of the Cowboys' draft picks as they scattered over two practice fields during Friday's start of a three-day rookie mini-camp at Valley Ranch.
But there's always a headliner in every draft, and it doesn't have to be the first guy picked.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee proved that point here Friday, as he was easily the center of attention among the 27 players that took the field.
McGee, along with former Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter, an undrafted rookie free agent, handled all the snaps from center. But at least for this weekend, McGee will be the focus at the quarterback position. That is until Tony Romo and veteran backup Jon Kitna arrive for the OTA practices later this month.
And until then, McGee knows this is his time to shine.
"It's good to get out there and take a lot of reps," McGee said. "You want to be sharp, you want to be crisp. You want to go out there and show what you can do. I think that's just a natural feeling to have."
Another feeling McGee didn't mind sharing was his general excitement of simply being at Valley Ranch and putting on the Cowboys uniform . . . again.
"I was a little nervous at first, it was just surreal," McGee said. "But it finally sunk in when I put that helmet on it with a star. The last time I put on a helmet with a star, I was about six years old."
Growing up in Burnet, Texas, McGee said he dreamed of one day following in the footsteps of Troy Aikman, the quarterback he idolized as a kid. He not only had a Cowboys uniform he wore, but the walls of his bedroom were filled with Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin posters.
"This is just a dream come true," said McGee, who was later asked to describe just how excited he was. "Well, maybe a 12, on a scale of 10. I was fired up out there."
Now, excitement aside, McGee had a pretty good day of execution, according to his position coach Wade Wilson, an 18-year NFL veteran who coaches the Cowboys quarterbacks.
"I was impressed with him, the way he handled it mentally and took everything from the classroom to the field," Wilson said. "He threw the ball real well. I was very impressed with his mechanics. I was real impressed with his presence in the huddle. He conducts himself very well on the field. He's got an aura about him. You can tell he is very confident and has some fine leadership qualities."
While most of these players are just taking a weekend break from their college studies, McGee said the mini-camp has some similarities to the classroom.
"Well, it's a lot of learning obviously, just trying to get a feel for the new plays, new routes and the new receivers," McGee said. "There's a lot of good coaching out there with Coach Wilson and Coach Garrett. I'm just trying to get into the rhythm. Obviously, everyone is new. There's a new system, new terminology. We're just trying to get adjusted and get the timing down."
There has been a lot of skepticism surrounding McGee's pick, considering he was more of a running quarterback at A&M before his senior season, which was followed by him getting hurt and then benched in favor of a freshman in his final year. Still, McGee said he doesn't feel added pressure to prove his doubters wrong.
"No, not really. I know how good of a quarterback I am. I've said that," McGee said. "I just want to come in here and work my butt off and show them that I'm going to be the guy that's going to be here. I just want to get better every day. I think that's what they want to see from me, just go out there and be a leader. That's really what I wanted to do today."
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