The New York Giants will open their preseason on Saturday in Orchard Park against the Buffalo Bills, which also means a dozen-plus rookies will make their NFL debuts.

For some, it will likely be the start of a very short professional stint. For others, it will be the first step of a long journey that changes their lives forever.

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Although the game itself is meaningless, the magnitude of the moment is significant for the greenhorns, and that’s why several Giants veterans addressed the rookies in a closed-door meeting this week.

“They all came in and talked to all the rookies, just telling them about their preseason experience, what they went through, things that they did to help them out. So, we just took from them and tried to apply it to our preseason,” Abdul Carter told reporters on Thursday. “Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Malik Nabers, Russell Wilson, they all came in and just talked to the young guys.”

The overall message was a simple one: Football is familiar to you. Don’t let the moment outshine you, don’t overthink things, and have no regrets.

“The main point was football is football. Obviously, you’re taking a next step, so it’s a little bit more advanced and just little details and schematics, and whatnot,” quarterback Jaxson Dart said. “At the end of the day, it’s the same game you were playing when you were a kid, so just enjoy that. Compete, don’t leave any regrets out there on the field, and don’t ever take this moment lightly, and there’s no light that’s too bright to play in.”

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For Dart, fellow quarterback Tommy DeVito has also been in his ear, providing advice beyond what was shared during this week’s meeting.

“I think I’ve hit on this many times — Tommy’s probably been the one, when I first got here, I kind of learned the most from,” he said. “He just told me to go out there and have fun. He’s kind of just shared his experience from when he was out there, and him being really successful when he was out there on the field when his time came.

“Honestly, when you come into these games, you can hear a lot about the advice, but at the end of the day, it’s just football, so you got to go out there and play your game, and the real good players are the ones who show up for it.”

Rookies are likely to see significant action on Saturday at Highmark Stadium, and the team’s veterans have done all they can to prepare them for the moment.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants veterans addressed rookies ahead of preseason opener