HOUSTON -- His name is difficult to pronounce but, in a season-opening weekend when most of his peers had perfunctory roles, Baltimore Ravens rookie defensive end Ma'ake Kemoeatu claimed a title that is easy to remember.

Starter.

A college free agent and former Utah standout, Kemoeatu was one of just 27 rookies leaguewide to earn starting spots for the first weekend of the season, and was the lone undrafted player in a starting lineup.

Whether he retains his job for the Ravens' second game might well depend on the health status of injured Baltimore players like Michael McCrary. But his first starting assignment, and the one solo tackle Kemoeatu recorded, are milestones he likely will remember for a long time.

For many rookies, the first weekend of the schedule was forgettable, as most were relegated to backup status for the first time in their football careers. In the previous five years, the average number of rookie starters in the opening weekend was under 30, so the 2002 total should have been no surprise. That did not, however, make it an easy adjustment.

"Most everybody on a roster comes into the NFL as a guy who started for his college team," said San Francisco first-round cornerback Mike Rumph, who logged substantial playing time in "nickel" situations. "It does feel a little weird not running out with the (first unit)."

Seventeen teams started no rookies at all in the opener. The Houston Texans started a league-high five rookies, all on offense, and New Orleans, Dallas and Baltimore each had three first-year starters. Those four teams accounted for nearly half of all the rookie starters in the first week of play.

There were as many starters from the second round of the draft, nine, as the first round produced. Actually the start credited to Cincinnati Bengals first-rounder Levi Jones should include an asterisk, since the offensive tackle lined up at tight end for the initial snap.

Of the 29 first-round choices signed to contracts, one was inactive because of an injury (Philadelphia cornerback Lito Sheppard) and another (Steelers guard Kendall Simmons) did not play.

Eight players combined from the third, fourth and fifth rounds were starters. Houston fullback Jarrod Baxter, a fifth-round choice and the 136th player chosen overall, was the latest-drafted rookie to start.

The most popular position for rookie starters was the offensive line, with six, while the tight end and safety positions had five starters each.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.