NEW YORK -- New quarterbacks were all the rage in the Big Apple on Monday.
Mark Sanchez got his first applause at a New York area stadium -- at Citi Field.
Two days after he was selected by the Jets with the fifth overall pick of the NFL draft, Sanchez threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets played the Florida Marlins on Monday night.
"I've seen a lot of, you know, public figures do things like that, mayors. This is pretty cool," Sanchez said. "It was a lobber, I played it pretty conservative. I was told that if I bounced it, I'd get booed right out of here."
Detroit Lions top pick Matthew Stafford appeared on Monday night's Late Show with David Letterman, reading the Top Ten list.
The quarterback, who starred for three years at Georgia, was taken with the first pick by the Lions in the NFL draft Saturday. Stafford will try and help the Lions overcome the first 0-16 season in NFL history.
"If the Lions win one game this year, I'm a hero," Stafford joked on the show.
Detroit desperately needed a quarterback to help turn around a team which has had the worst eight-year stretch in the league since World War II.
Sanchez, a former high school pitcher and third baseman, said he'd been getting "the sideways glances" while making his way around the city.
"I got all my Jets stuff on. That's all I got. I have suits and Jets clothes. Not too incognito," he said.
He met some of the Mets players from California and warmed up in the batting cage next to the Mets clubhouse.
Sanchez even got to ride the No. 1 IRT train.
"I went on the subway and heard a guy. He's written some poetry and he was selling books. I heard some guys come on with guitars and started singing," Sanchez said. "A guy was asking for money for charities, so I got my fair share there, New York donations."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.