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IRVING – On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of players will have dreams come true when they get selected in the NFL draft. Some will be ecstatic they went so high, others will be disappointed they went so low.

Here are a few remembrances from Dallas Cowboys players Terence Newman, Andre Gurode, Akin Ayodele and Nick Folk on their draft-day experiences:

First round, No. 5 overall by the Cowboys, 2003: "I was in New York, nervous as heck. I didn't know where I was going. I remember Detroit called me on the day of the draft and I'm thinking I'm going to Detroit. They had the No. 2 pick and they end up picking Charles Rogers. After that, I had no idea where I was going and the picks started going. Dallas was on the clock and I got a phone call. It was like a dream come true.

"I talked to Jerry [Jones] and Todd Williams [assistant director of player personnel] I think. I don't think I talked to Bill [Parcells]. Jerry told me he'd give me No. 21, but that was before somebody bought it. But 41 has worked out so ... I would've picked 21 for sure and I would've worn it well. Derek Ross, yeah Derek Ross bought it. I got 41."

(On enjoying the weekend.) "It was hectic, but I'm not the type of person that wants to do all of the things they provided for you, go to this or go to that. My family was there and I tried to enjoy it with them. It's a situation that doesn't happen that often and you definitely have to make the most of it."

Second round, No. 37 overall by the Cowboys, 2002: "I was down in Houston. At some point, I didn't think I was going to get drafted so I actually went upstairs and called my college teammate Cedric Cormier, who was also my high school teammate, and sat on the phone with him. He actually told me I just got drafted and I said, 'Stop lying.' Then my parents went upstairs.

"You can't really read into any of the Mel Kiper stuff and all this other stuff. As a college kid, you have nothing to go off of. You never know what's going to happen until draft day. My family was a Cowboys fan. They didn't see that number (37th overall).

"All they saw was Dallas Cowboys. And the majority of the time, you get picked by the team who never speaks to you at all. They didn't call at all. I didn't speak to them once.

Third round, No. 89 overall by Jacksonville, 2002: "For me I was here [in Irving]. Actually, I got a hotel room and got away from my family and everybody calling and wanting to know what round you're going in. It's just stressful. But at the same time, there's an excitement and now it's a new chapter in life and a chance to prove yourself and play against guys you probably grew up watching and playing Madden football games with. And then you get paid.

"No party. Not until after I got drafted. I forgot who called me. I know I talked to [Tom] Coughlin afterward. Right when Jacksonville called, the Jets called and Miami called. I was too scared. [The Jaguars] said, 'We're going to pick you up, hold on so you can talk to coach,' then the call waiting clicked through so it was funny.

"It seems long ago, but at the same time, it's been fast. My career's gone by fast. It seems like just a few years ago I was a rookie and I was learning and being around Coughlin and transitioning through to a three-down linebacker mode. It's turned out good.

Sixth round, No. 178 overall by the Cowboys, 2007: "I was home in California. I guess I got home Friday night and a couple of friends drove out with me from Tucson and we just were hanging out at the pool. I didn't expect anything that Saturday, then Sunday came around and the whole family was over. It was the first time in a long time both my mom's side and my dad's side got together at once. It was pretty cool.

"I was in the living room watching TV and my agent and I broke down teams just to maybe pull a bluff here or there. Tampa Bay said they had three picks in the seventh round and I was like, 'All right, I think I'll be gone by then.' So we made a list and Dallas was next on the list. All of a sudden someone calls and says, 'Jerry Jones wants to say something to you.' I go, 'Hey, coach, umm, Mr. Jones.' I went outside because a lot of people were yelling and then the whole house went crazy, so they must've shown it on TV.

"It seems like three months ago. It's been a good year. It's a lot of fun. I'm glad to be here."