PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. --- Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez are set to become rich beyond comprehension long before throwing their first official NFL pass.

The quarterbacks will be anointed as saviors -- Stafford for a Detroit team that went winless in 2008, and Sanchez for a New York Jets club that hasn't tasted the Super Bowl in 40 years.

The pressure can be overwhelming. So Stafford and Sanchez often find themselves seeking someone who understands their situation. They call each other.

The friendship started last summer, when they were counselors at a camp for elite high school quarterbacks. They've kept in contact regularly.

On Tuesday, at the NFL rookie symposium, they were on the field together -- throwing footballs around with dozens of children brought in to interact with the game's newest professionals. But in down moments during this mandatory event for first-year NFL players -- which offers education on how to handle subjects such as personal conduct, finances and security -- the two tend to huddle together.

"We talk so much about how's the playbook coming, what are the guys like in the locker room, have they treated you OK," Sanchez said.

The biggest lesson many of the rookies took from the symposium, Stafford included, was that they'll have to say "no" a lot -- especially when it comes to people asking for money, gifts or favors.

"I've had to do it for a while," said Stafford, who spent most of last season at Georgia being touted as the possible No. 1 pick.

Sanchez, who starred at Southern California, is already a huge name in the massive market that is New York, and he's gotten advice from Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter on how to handle the attention. On Tuesday, as cameras and heads turned toward Sanchez, Stafford seemed almost invisible by comparison. He didn't mind.

"We're both pretty similar, easy-going guys," Stafford said.