They have gone through the whole gamut since their college season ended, from training for the combine, to the NFL Scouting Combine, to pro days and then the NFL Draft.

On Friday it all paid off when the Steelers rookie class, including draft picks and undrafted free agents, took the field for the first time at the team's three day minicamp.

"It went well," said cornerback Senquez Golson, the team's second round draft pick. "It felt good to get back out here and get my legs under me and run around a little bit. It's been a while since I played football. You can't overlook the training part. That is the part when you perfect your game. It's good to be almost done with training and into football season."

Something as simple putting a helmet back on for the first time in months was a welcome diversion from all of the talk and speculation that led up to the draft, and the evaluation that has come since.

"It's good to put the helmet on," said fourth round selection Doran Grant. "I hadn't put the helmet on since the Senior Bowl. It's good to be out here playing football.

"It went well. Got a lot of hustle in, listened a lot and got to be out here with the fellas. It was a good day."

Wide receiver Sammie Coates, taken in the third round, had sweat pouring off him after the morning practice with unseasonably warm temperatures making it feel like the middle of training camp instead of spring, but he loved it.

"I enjoy football. Any part of it I enjoy," said Coates. "It's competing, the atmosphere. You love it, enjoy it. It felt great. It was hot, it felt great.

"It's football. I love it. I am happy to be back out there. It's been a long process through the draft and the combine. It feels good to be out there with this helmet on and going at it. You just want to play. Being out here with a team function…it feels good to be out here with these guys."

The biggest challenge facing the rookies was the amount of information thrown their way in a short time as they went from meetings straight to the field, but for the most part they are handling it well and adjusting just fine.  

"We got a lot of new things," said Golson. "I think I will be all right. Towards the end of practice I started to catch onto things a lot better."

He wasn't the only one who started to feel comfortable the longer they were on the field.

"It's a little bit (hectic), but not too much," said Grant. "I am focused on making plays and just hustling."