On Monday, May 27, 2024, Chris Conlin was celebrating winning a second national championship with his Notre Dame teammates in Philadelphia. Tuesday morning, he flew back to South Bend. On Wednesday, he was on a flight to Albany for Premier Lacrosse League training camp with assistant coach Ryder Garnsey.

Things for Conlin changed on that flight, however. Garnsey went from being his coach to his teammate on the California Redwoods, and the high Conlin was riding after winning the championship became mixed feelings about the daunting challenge ahead: transitioning from college lacrosse to the PLL.

Nearly three weeks after winning the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse championship, Conlin was back just outside of Philadelphia, this time making his PLL debut for the Redwoods against Jeff Teat and the New York Atlas (a team featuring five former No. 1 draft picks). Conlin admitted he didn’t believe the moment was possible, but it didn’t take long to see how real it was.

“I remember seeing the ball moving around the perimeter on the offensive end, and as the ball matriculated all the way through, I came to the realization that every single offensive guy that just touched the ball was not just the best player on their college team but recognized in their respective years as one of the top players that have ever played,” he said. “I really was living in the moment of understanding and acknowledging this league is no joke.”

Conlin said he didn’t feel settled in yet, and Redwoods assistant coach Chris Collins said Conlin struggled in that game because he tried to do too much. It’s not unusual for rookies to experience that feeling in their first couple of games in the PLL.

When Brian Tevlin was making the same transition the year prior, he said he was consistently told the speed of play going from college to the pros was even greater than the same experience going from high school to college. The best advice he received was to “fly around and do your best to play full speed and react accordingly,” even if he didn’t fully understand what it meant until he stepped onto the field for the first time.

The shot clock, getting on and off the field quickly, and the consistent change of possessions take some time and experience to adjust to, as does learning a new offense or defense, but the surreal experience begins with the first step into the locker room or onto the field.

Tevlin’s first game in 2023 came against the Whipsnakes in Columbus, Ohio, and he was lined up against Tyler Warner. Even though the two were teammates during Tevlin’s freshman season at Yale, Warner at that point was considered one of the best short-stick defensive midfielders in the world, and that signaled to Tevlin he was playing at a different level.

Chris Fake only played one game in his rookie season with the Waterdogs; he said the contest came and went so quickly, he still felt like a rookie when he went to training camp this past season with the Redwoods. Even though he had a game of experience under his belt and his new locker room had former teammates and familiar faces, he still was starstruck.

“Walking into the locker room and now, I'm teammates with someone like Rob Pannell, whose name is synonymous with the sport, and Paul Rabil's on the sideline, and all these guys that you think are just your idols growing up,” he said, “I think that was the biggest part of transitioning to the PLL.”

Playing alongside and against players they idolized growing up left Tevlin and Fake shocked at first, and they even wondered if they were good enough to be on the same level as their more famous or experienced teammates. Conlin said it’s like being a freshman in college again.

Veterans want to win, however, and they know they need all players – rookies included – at their best in order to do so. Conlin said it was important for him to change his perspective; instead of being nervous about whether he was good enough, he realized he had the opportunity to learn from some of the best to play the sport.

Tevlin said players such as Eddy Glazener, Garrett Epple, Jack Kelly and Isaiah Davis-Allen took him under their wings and assured him he deserved to be there.

“The guys did such a good job of making me feel comfortable and making me feel at home and prepared,” he said. “It reminded me I was there for a reason and to go out there and be myself.”

While the experience of life in the PLL can result in some shock and awe, if players can get through the first game, the initial awkwardness typically proves to be temporary.

Conlin broke out the week after playing the Atlas when he held Denver’s Brennan O’Neill to only one goal.

Fake’s first game for California came against the Carolina Chaos, and he was matched up against Josh Byrne, the 2017 MLL Rookie of the Year and a four-time All-Star. Fake was initially apprehensive about the matchup, but once the game started, and he wasn’t playing terribly, he was able to calm those nerves.

“Even though they're very good, you're like, ‘OK, I you know I deserve to be here. I fit in,’” he said. “It settles you down pretty well.”

That game improved his confidence, which helped him later in the season when he was assigned other top matchups against Asher Nolting and Michael Sowers.

Quickly, the three former Notre Dame teammates found their footing in the PLL and are looking to be cornerstones of California’s defense. Tevlin earned Second Team All-Pro honors in 2024. Fake started all 10 games in 2024, and he said this year, he can focus on making sure the entire defense is as prepared as possible to be one of the best units in the league. Conlin started nine games, and Collins said he expects to see a jump in his production in Year 2.

No longer rookies, they will welcome a new crop of first-year pros to training camp, including Andrew McAdorey, Sam English, Chris Kavanagh, Carter Rice and Jack Fracyon. Additionally, 2024 fourth-round pick Cole Kastner will make his much-anticipated debut for California after playing college basketball at Stanford this past year.

Having gone through what they are about to embark on, Tevlin offered advice to the newest Redwoods.

“Play fast and enjoy it,” he said. “I’m already moving into Year 3. So many individuals I played with in the first two years have moved on to a different team or retirement. For as quick as the game is, the season moves even quicker.”

“Like people told me when I joined,” he added, “you’re there for a reason, you’re super talented, and it will only help our team if they go out there with a level of confidence knowing they can perform at that level.”