Another way is finding veterans on whom to lean, such as David Moore. The experienced receiver suffered a severe elbow injury in Week 4, in a loss to the Patriots. He’s been finding ways to stay involved, from running routes to not letting a brace hamper him to appointing himself hype man on the sidelines. All of it has helped McMillan develop, according to the rookie.
“D-Mo, he’s obviously a cool, calm, collected guy, but you know I think he’s the guy that keeps us sane,” smiled McMillan. “He’s a seasoned vet in our room, and he has a lot of knowledge, a lot of wisdom for this game that he can pass on to every single one of us, and he did, and you know, we’re still learning from him, even though he’s on the sideline right now.
“You’ll see him with his little brace out there and his cleats trying to do drills and stuff like that. So, you know, you realize how much this game means to him, and that’s definitely contagious for sure…he’s excited when everybody makes plays, so he takes pride in everybody else’s successes for sure.”
But the biggest marker for McMillan, eight weeks behind him in his rookie year, is the ways he has seen himself become a better receiver since being drafted, learning the ins and outs of facing professional corners, making his way through a 17-game season, and adjusting to the game.