Image courtesy of David Butler II-Imagn Images

When the ESPN Monday Night Football trucks rolled into Foxborough this week, that’s when the rookies knew it was real.

The product they grew up watching was suddenly going to be starring them.

Following a dominant 33-15 win over the Giants that moved the Pats to 11-2 heading into the bye week, I caught up with a few of the rookies in the locker room to chat about their first MNF experience.

Here’s what TreVeyon Henderson, Andy Borregales, Efton Chism III and Kyle Williams had to say:

TreVeyon Henderson 

“It was pretty cool. It kind of seemed like the Thursday Night Football game, but it was cool. I enjoyed it, great atmosphere…I really don’t look at it (like it’s a bigger game than it is), I try to keep every game the same…

—Rhamondre Stevenson, sitting next to Henderson chimed in, saying “until he heard that ‘dun, dun, dun, dunah!” indicating the MNF theme music. 

“No, I pretty much try to treat every game like it’s the same though. I feel like because I’m new to it, maybe in a couple more years down the road it will get more exciting to me, but right now, it’s just like, it’s another game to be honest.”

Kyle Williams

“Sensational. I don’t think it can get any better than that. I think it’s just a great way to start off the week and a great way to start off a bye week…I think throughout the week, you see the (Monday Night Football) trucks setting up, but for me, it was just that walkthrough before the day before the game where you sit out there and you see the cameras set up and you’re just like ‘damn, this is what I see as a kid.’ Just having that moment…then, we go out there and you see it’s a packed stadium, cold night, brisk air, it’s just football weather.

“It’s crazy, because you know it’s a primetime game, but when you’re on the field, every game is a primetime game, you know? You don’t try to look at it as different, like, ‘oh this game is on Monday, so I gotta play better than what I did on Sunday.’ No, every game is a primetime game. So, just having reps (from the Thursday Night Game) and experience before this moment, I think it just shaped my confidence for what I needed to do.”

Andy Borregales

“It was awesome. I loved every second of it. Obviously, you dream of playing on Monday Night Football growing up and I got to experience it, just blessed. I kind of just went into it like it was any other game, really. That’s kind of how I go into it. No moment’s too high, no moment’s too low. Just, kind of stay as neutral as possible. Now, looking back at the game, I can say ‘damn, that’s sick, that’s Monday Night Football,’ but in the moment, just locked in trying to do my job.”

Efton Chism III

“It was awesome…I think the last primetime game probably hit me a little more, just because it was the first one ever for me. But, today, kind of during the week when you see the trucks pulling in, you see all the cameras and stuff, it’s like, ‘man, I grew up doing this, watching this,’ so it’s pretty special to be a part of. I’m definitely not taking any of it for granted when I’m out there. Just taking a second to take a deep breath and take it all on.

“I think every game prepares you for the next one, especially being a young guy. You’re seeing reps even if you’re not in there much, seeing a bunch of things, learning a bunch of things. Just trying to take every opportunity I can.”