The Giants' 100th season is a reminder that every franchise has a beginning. The same is true for players.

Everybody came from somewhere. Everybody has a journey. And everybody has a story to tell the grandkids about how their NFL careers began.

Or, in this case, a story to tell Giants.com …

OLB Brian Burns

As the 16^th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Burns started Week 1 for the Carolina Panthers at home against the Los Angeles Rams, who were fresh off a run to Super Bowl LIII. His assignment? Four-time Pro Bowl tackle Andrew Whitworth, who at the time had 209 NFL starts under his belt compared to Burns' zero. Nevertheless, Burns, who was flanked by veterans like Luke Kuechly, Gerald McCoy, and Dontari Poe, went on to record two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.

"I was nervous, for sure. I just remember the vets coming to me and telling me, 'Bro, it's football at the end of the day. Don't overthink it. Just know what to do, where to be, and everything else will play out and your instincts will take over.' I was going against a super vet in Whitworth. It was a tough matchup, but I tried my best. I was able to do some things. I had a tackle on [wide receiver] Robert Woods. It was a jet sweep they tried to get me with, and it was a tackle in the backfield. It was my first big play in the league."

Advice to rookie self: "On the serious note, I'd probably tell myself to really cut loose. I felt like I was playing a little uptight despite what my vets had told me. On a playful tip, have a celebration ready for when you make a play. I didn't have anything. I had the Spider-Man stuff, but I didn't do it because I was blanked out."

OL Jermaine Elumunor

The first football game Jermaine Eluemunor ever saw was the NFL's debut in London, where the Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13-10, on a soggy pitch at Wembley Stadium. It was late October of 2007 and Eluemunor, who had spent his life in England up to that point, was about to turn 13. Ten years later, he made his NFL debut for the Ravens against the Jaguars at none other than Wembley Stadium.

"It was the first time I actually had people cheer for me as soon as they saw me running on the field. I still have the tickets from that game. I'll never, ever forget that. That's when they had that D-line where they were going by "Sacksonville" with Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson and Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler, Jr. So they were going crazy, and that was my first ever NFL experience and my first snap was Calais Campbell over me in the three-tech and then the second time it was a pull-and-play where I had to pull on Myles Jack and I smacked him. It was a good play, but we ended up losing that game 44-7. We got smacked. It was bad. But just having my family, everything leading up to it, I think I was one of the first English players to come back home and play in England. And just for that to be my first ever game too, you couldn't write it up any better. I never, ever dreamed that would happen."

Advice to rookie self: "Just keep working. Don't be lazy because lazy guys don't make it in this league. I've been in it for eight years now. You've got to work hard. Don't believe people that say talent can take you further than work ethic because work ethic is going to take you as far as you want."

OT Andrew Thomas

Everything is new for a rookie, but 2020 took it to a new level. The COVID-19 pandemic forced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to announce draft picks from his basement, with Thomas going fourth overall to the Giants. That set the tone for a season unlike any other, one that began under the lights at MetLife Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But there were no fans in the stands when just a few months earlier Thomas had been playing in front of 90,000 people at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

"It was nuts. We didn't have any OTAs. I just remember being out there going against the Steelers, they have a great front, and I could hear people talking on the other sideline because there were no fans in the building. But I was obviously excited to start my NFL career. We didn't win that game, but I thought I played OK. It was definitely an exciting time. Leading up to it, [I got nerves], but I didn't get the same feel because I went to Georgia, fans are going crazy. I go to MetLife for the first time and there are no fans. It was a little weird, but I definitely was excited to be out there."

Advice to rookie self: "It's going to work out. That's what I would say. It's going to work out."

S Dane Belton

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Belton's debut could not have started any better. He recovered a Chuba Hubbard fumble that was forced by Carter Coughlin on the opening kickoff of the Giants' home opener – a 19-16 victory over the Panthers. But Belton had to wait a week.

"High emotions for sure. I had missed the first game because of the collarbone [injury] situation, so being able to just come in the next game and knowing that I had a role, and then for that to be the first play. I didn't do anything special. It just ended up that way. People make plays. Carter made a play, and I was just in the right spot at the right time. Being able to get that turnover and set up points was dope. The environment, too, the crowd was going crazy. I couldn't imagine it starting any better unless it was like a pick-six or something. I kept the ball. When I went back to the sideline, everyone was hyped, especially since it was the start of the game."

Advice to rookie self: "Be in the moment. Be smart. Some things you'd go back and want to make different decisions, but at the end of the day, live in the moment and understand that you're blessed to be where you are and keep going."

QB Daniel Jones

When the Giants drafted Jones as the successor to Eli Manning in 2019, it was a matter of when – not if – he would take over. Jones made his debut on the final offensive series of the season opener in a game that was out of reach in Dallas. Two weeks later, Jones got the start in Tampa Bay. He helped the Giants overcome an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat the Buccaneers, 32-31. In the process, he became the second rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns and run for two scores in his starting debut.

"It feels like a long time ago now. I think there's so much going on and you realize that, but at the same time, you just focus on what you need to do. It seems like that job in and of itself is plenty to focus on. I remember that being enough. I was nervous but ready to go and excited. Got off to a little bit of a slow start but kind of roared back in the second half. It was just a fun experience."

Advice to rookie self: "Stay in that moment. Don't be thinking too far ahead about later in the game or what's going to happen here. Just stay and focus on that one play, executing your job on that one play, and go from there. Do that time and time again. The nerves and excitement are a good thing. Use that. Use that excitement, use that adrenaline to help you be at your best and channel that towards playing well."

WR Darius Slayton

After missing the first two weeks with a hamstring injury, Slayton debuted in that same game in Tampa Bay and was on the receiving end of Jones' heroics. The fifth-round pick caught three passes for 82 yards, including a 21-yarder to jumpstart the game-winning drive.

"I remember I was nervous because I didn't practice very much or play very much in the preseason, so that game was my first real, live NFL action. I remember Shep [Sterling Shepard] and some of the other older guys and I just fed off their confidence going into the game. And it helped me stay calm. It was a crazy finish for sure."

Advice to rookie self: "Be yourself. Do what got you there. You kind of forget sometimes that you get to the NFL because you did something special. Sometimes you can get to this level, where there's really good players, and sometimes maybe you think you're not as good or this doesn't work or that doesn't work. But at the end of the day, as long as you're yourself and do what got you here, you're going to be OK."

RB Devin Singletary

Singletary arrived in Buffalo as a third-round pick in 2019, a year after Brian Daboll joined the Bills as offensive coordinator. With his future head coach calling plays, Singletary had 70 rushing yards on just four carries in addition to five catches for 28 yards in a 17-16 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. It didn't start great for the rookie, though.

"The first play I touched the ball, I was on the outside at receiver and I came and got a screen pass and dropped it. I dropped it. Then I'm like, all right, let's go. After that, it was like, OK, it's time to tighten up. It was up from there. I remember Daboll was just a dog. You could feel his energy. We were feeding off his energy. He's still the same fearless guy when it comes to play-calling. He just believed in us a lot, for real."

Advice to rookie self: "After the first series, you get all the nervousness out, all that stuff. Then you're like, I'm doing this for real."

QB Drew Lock

Lock's 12,193 career yards at Missouri ranked second in SEC history when the Broncos drafted him in 2019. But he was still nervous when he made his first career start in Week 13 of his rookie year. He got the call against the Los Angeles Chargers and went on to throw two touchdowns to Courtland Sutton in the first quarter en route to a 23-20 victory.

"Cotton mouth that first drive. Man, I was just excited, definitely nervous, definitely nervous, but it was fun. My first touchdown was to Courland Sutton in the back right end zone of the tunnel we come out of. Shoot, Philip Rivers, that was the coolest part. I can't believe like the stat sheet that day is going to be 'Drew Lock, starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos' and 'Philip Rivers, starting quarterback for the Chargers.' That was super cool. I'll definitely never forget it, going over to my family at the end of the game. My now-wife was there. We were three or four months into dating at the time. It was a special day. I did have a 'Welcome to the NFL' moment thanks to Denzel Perryman, who was a linebacker on that team. We were running just a little [play] where we have a guy run and sit where he is and wrap around. And he faked me. He took the grab, backpedaled, flipped his hips, went and got underneath the in-cut behind it. It was like, 'All right, I can't get away with that anymore. I used to be able to.' I was playing against savvy vets."

Advice to rookie self: "Cut it loose. Don't think too much. Just let it ride, man. You're going to make it. You're going to hang around. Just cut it loose. Don't second-guess anything."

QB Tommy DeVito

There's no way anyone could have known what was coming when the undrafted rookie began last season on the practice squad – not even him. But the third-stringer from New Jersey was thrust into making his NFL debut when Tyrod Taylor went down against the Jets. DeVito completed two of seven passes that day and rushed for 12 yards on four carries, including a six-yard run for the Giants' only touchdown in an overtime loss to the Jets.

"I remember terrible weather. I remember the touchdown. Really just the environment, it didn't feel real at the time. I don't know if it had to do with the weather or the way the game was going, things just felt like they were in a haze. It didn't hit me until after. It was like, 'You just played a real NFL game.' Then obviously more came from it after. I wished we would have come out with a win there. When you get thrown into that role, you're expected to go in there and play with no hiccups. So the backup role is a pretty tough one. You really have no idea. At the beginning of the year, I was on practice squad. I had no idea I was eventually going to be playing and starting in games that happen that season. But you've got to be ready for anything."

Advice to rookie self: "My No. 1 life rule is don't panic. Just stay calm through it all. All the training that you've done, all the studying, it will take care of itself. Just go out, play, enjoy it, and have fun."

WR Wan'Dale Robinson

The second-round pick made his debut in the wild win at Tennessee that kicked off the Daboll era in 2022. Instead of playing for overtime, the first-time head coach kept the offense on the field for a two-point conversion, which Jones executed with an underhand pass to Saquon Barkley with 1:06 left in regulation. But Robinson had to watch it from the sideline.

"Mine is good and bad. My first game, I'm playing closer to my home in Kentucky. My first catch, I get hurt, MCL sprain and I was done for the game. I do remember Shep catching a big bomb and going crazy on the sideline. Going for two at the end, I remember the play call we called, I'm standing next to Tyrod and I was like, 'Oh no, this is not good that we just called this play.' Then we shoveled it to Say and Saquon did what he did. Then I said, 'Sometimes it's not about the play call; it's about who you're calling it for.' But seriously, that was definitely a memory of mine from that game. Getting the dub and I got hurt. That was about it."

Advice to rookie self: "This league is brutal. You never know what may happen. Take care of your body. At that time, I was a fresh 21-year-old."

LB Bobby Okereke

The California native and Stanford product made his debut for the Colts in Los Angeles against the Chargers, who won in overtime.

"At their home but it was home for me back in Orange County. It was fun. I had a bunch of my family there, and it was thrilling just to be out there, playing Philip Rivers, playing big-time guys like Austin Ekeler, it was just a very exciting time for me. My first live energy. Watching the film, I'm a lot better football player now than I was then, but it was fun. It's an adjustment, especially for linebackers. Speed of the game is pretty normal, but the size of the offensive linemen is probably the biggest adjustment. It's an acclimation period."

Advice to rookie self: "Maybe condition a little bit more so you're in shape and you don't get caught tired."

LS Casey Kreiter

Undrafted out of Iowa, Kreiter was cut at the end of training camp in each of his first two years by the Cowboys. The third time was the charm. The defending champion Broncos gave him a chance in 2016, and Kreiter made his debut in the Super Bowl 50 rematch against the Panthers in Week 1.

"Other than maybe the [Giants'] playoff game in Minnesota [two years ago], that was the loudest stadium environment I have been in. I missed Peyton Manning by a year, but he walked out with the Super Bowl trophy. It was the year after the Broncos won, and it was a rematch against the Panthers. Graham [Gano] was actually on the team, so it was the first time I met him. So Peyton walked out with the trophy, he handed it to John Elway on the field, and that was a moment where I was like, 'Whoa, I'm here. This is different than preseason.' At that point in my career, I was at a point where if I was done with football, I was OK with it. It was literally just go play the best as I can. If it doesn't work out, I was going to go teach high school science, raise a family, and be happy with it. Luckily, and I've said it, without getting cut the two times before that, I don't know if I was ready to play in the NFL. I had my 'Welcome to the NFL' moment later that year when we played the Texans and they used their front seven on defense for punt rush. I remember we broke the huddle, I look to my right, the right A-gap was J.J. Watt. The left A-gap was Jadeveon Clowney. Hey, if we can get through this game OK, I think we'll be all right."

Advice to rookie self: "Just enjoy it. I had football taken away from me twice before I actually got to play in a regular-season game. I learned that lesson the hard way. But remind yourself it's a game. [Punter] Jamie [Gillan] and I spend time playing catch pre-game three hours before the game like we're little kids. Just remind ourselves it's a game because at the end of the day, this is a job and a super important job that we all take seriously, but we're playing a game that we've loved since we were kids. It's a good reminder of hey, this is stressful, it's important, but it's also a game you really love. Don't forget that."

K Graham Gano

The longest-tenured NFL player currently on the roster, Gano was perfect in his debut on Dec. 13, 2019, when he made two field goals and four extra points for Washington in a 34-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

"My favorite kicker as a kid, being a Florida State fan, was Sebastian Janikowski. I was kicking against him that day. I had met him when I was in college. It was pretty cool, pretty neat. I had always heard that the Raiders fans were crazy and it was more of a fun atmosphere than anything. I had a great time. The first field goal was from 46 yards, and I was so pumped up to hit that. It was a long year bouncing from Florida State to Baltimore to the UFL then to Washington. It was an exciting memory. I'm definitely blessed to be able to get that chance and get my career started. I had a tackle that day too on kickoff. I don't know if they gave me credit for it or not, but it was a fun game. I definitely celebrated too hard on the first field goal, but it was a lifelong dream come true."

Advice to rookie self: "Take it in. The first few years I didn't really take a second each game to kind of enjoy the moment and look around and just realize I'm very blessed to get to be able to play a sport for a living. That's something my wife reminded me of as the years went on. She's like, 'Make sure you take your time to take it in.' So I try to do that every game. Just look around and realize how fortunate I am to still be playing."

DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches

"Nacho" was inactive for the first six weeks of his rookie season in 2015 with the Chiefs – or so he thought. As it turned out, it was just five.

"I was supposed to be inactive for [Week 6 at Minnesota] so I did my normal ritual. I walked around outside with my headphones on, eating, drinking a lot of Gatorade. Next thing you know I come into my locker and my pads have my jersey on it and my helmet is out and my cleats are out. I'm like, 'Wait a minute, what happened?' They come to me and they're like, 'Yeah, you're playing. [Dontari Poe] got hurt.' It was literally seconds before the D-line went out. All I could think about was all that food I just ate this morning and shouldn't have ate it. That was my last time doing that. A lot of things went through my mind, but at the same time I was still ready. It was so surreal getting out there. My first play, I remember I was the nose, and it was a lead [run] right to me, Adrian Peterson coming down the pike and just coming off that block and making that first tackle, it took all the scare out of it. As long as you get that first contact out of the way, then after that, shoot, 10 years later and we're here. Something worked."

Advice to rookie self: "Always prepare as a starter. Never get caught looking at a role as practice squad player or whatever. Never take your foot off the gas. Be ready. I think that was why I was able to respond so well. I tell these guys, because they think I'm lying, bro, you never know what can happen at any point. Don't get rocked to sleep."

WR/Returner Gunner Olszewski

Undrafted out of Bemidji State University in Northern Minnesota, the Texas native made his name with the Patriots in 2019, the year after Tom Brady won his final Super Bowl with the team. The reigning champions opened in primetime against the Steelers.

"Sunday Night Football. Man, it was cool. My dad [Eric] actually told me, he's like, 'Do me a favor, before the game starts, just look around and soak it all up.' During the national anthem, I just took a second to look up. It's an NFL stadium, opening night, Sunday Night Football, it was really cool. I'll never forget it. The first punt was a fair catch. I'm at my best when I'm not thinking at all, so try to just not think. I don't like fair catching, but I kind of had to. Then I popped a 20-yarder on my second one. The corners blocked the gunners well, and I went right up the middle. It was awesome. I didn't think about my journey right then because the NFL is so right now. Everybody in this locker room has a story, but we're all trying to win a game. You just focus on whatever is next and come together as a team. Everybody's got a story. Everybody came from somewhere. You're in the NFL. You're coming together for the common team. After the season I always kind of look at like, 'Wow, I just played my fifth NFL season. That's pretty cool.'

Advice to rookie self: "Just shut up and listen to the vets, like I did. Just shut up and pay attention and learn and play mistake-free football. Not that you're not going to make a mistake, but play like you're never scared to."