Jalen Tolbert’s NFL rookie season didn’t meet expectations, least of all, his own.

The former South Alabama star saw action in only eight of 17 games in 2022 for the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in the third round (No. 88 overall) last year. After totaling 82 receptions in a record-setting senior year for the Jaguars, he caught only two passes for 12 yards as a rookie with the Cowboys.

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Tolbert was back in his hometown of Mobile last week for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he visited with several friends and former teammates involved in the game. And he was also able to take a mental “reset” before he heads back to Dallas to begin Year 2 as a pro.

“Talking with the (Cowboys) coaches and everybody, they’re excited,” Tolbert said. “I’m just ready to take the Year 1 to Year 2 jump. A lot of rookie guys end up taking that jump. Not everybody comes in and is rookie of the year. So I’m excited to just be able to go and take that Year 2 jump and be comfortable and play fast, and get back to the confident guy that I was playing in college. So I’m looking forward to this off-season, just working and getting better and continuing to grow and go into next year and do what I have to do.”

Three of Tolbert’s close friends and former teammates were involved in this year’s Senior Bowl. Jalen Wayne, like Tolbert a former South Alabama wide receiver, played for the American team, while Troy’s Carlton Martial and Maryland’s Jakorian Bennett — Tolbert’s high school teammates at McGill-Toolen Catholic School — were part of the National team.

But his lifelong best friend will be with him back in the Dallas area. Bubba Thompson, the former McGill-Toolen quarterback, made it up to the Major Leagues as an outfielder with the Texas Rangers last August.

“It was awesome,” Tolbert said. “I would practice and then be able to go over to Arlington and watch his baseball games. And then he’d come to my football game. He even stayed at my house sometimes. That’s my best friend and … we’re always together. And he’s going through it essentially, his rookie year as well. So we’re able to find our way through together. Just to have that close friend to lean on when times get hard or when things are good, it is awesome. I’m looking forward to having him back out there with me and me being back out there as well.”

Tolbert, Martial, Bennett and Thompson were part of a now-legendary McGill-Toolen program that reached three straight state championship games from 2015-17. At least 10 Yellow Jackets from that era have played or are still playing college football at a high level.

Wayne, Bennett and Martial all said they have both leaned on Tolbert for advice through the Senior Bowl and in the beginnings of the NFL draft process. Tolbert said he told them to treat the Senior Bowl as “one of the biggest weeks of your life.”

“This is a big job interview,” Tolbert said. “I just told them to be ready. Just have that one goal in mind, that you’re trying to change your life and your family’s life forever. So I told them to just have fun, enjoy the process, but also take everything someone tells you with a grain of salt and keep moving on.

“I went through that process and I’ll continue to be a leader for them. I just finished my rookie year and obviously it didn’t go how I wanted it to. But I’ll be able to tell them the things that I could have done better or the things they could do to make their rookie years outstanding. I’m looking forward to being able to continue to help.”

Tolbert said he was due to head back to Dallas early this week for training and also to “have my face around the facility.” Organized Team Activities begin in May.