(Enlarge) Aaron Maybin, a pass-rushing specialist who had two sacks for the Bills in limited preseason play, makes his NFL debut against the Patriots on Monday Night Football. Maybin, who played at Mt. Hebron and Penn State, signed a $25-million contract after a 27-day holdout. (Photo by James P. McCoy courtesy of The Buffalo News )

Aaron Maybin, who grew up in Ellicott City and was a standout at Mt. Hebron High School, now shares a locker room with one of the NFL's biggest stars, Terrell Owens.

"He's a cool guy. I've learned a lot from him," Maybin said of Owens, his teammate with the Buffalo Bills, on Friday after practice.

But don't expect to see Maybin guest starring on The T.O. Show anytime soon.

"I hate reality TV," said Maybin, who acted in several school plays while at Mt. Hebron. "You'll probably see me on something (on television), but it won't be reality TV."

Actually, you'll see Maybin tonight on the biggest prime-time stage there is for the NFL, Monday Night Football. And the reality is, he'll be making his debut against the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady, who is eager to make up for a lost season because of a knee injury.

But if Maybin is nervous about playing a game that even his new peers in the NFL can watch, he isn't showing it.

"It's not really a big change for me. I played in one of the biggest stadiums in America at Penn State," he said.

Though Maybin is listed as a backup on the depth chart on the official Buffalo Bills Web site, he says he'll be on the field tonight. "I'll definitely play. I'll be doing what they brought me in to do, which is to change the game," said Maybin, whose parents, Michael and Violette, will be there to watch in Foxboro, Mass.

Maybin was the 11th pick in the draft and then held out for 27 days and a five-year, $25-million contract.

He played in only two of the team's five preseason games, but he made quite an impression. Against the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 29, he sacked quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

"Frankly, I was more pleased than I thought I’d be," coach Dick Jauron told the Bills official Web site after the game. "I didn’t expect much from him. I thought his legs would be very heavy and he’d be way behind, but he came off the ball. He looked very quick. I thought he looked fast off the ball. I thought he got the edge on the guys a couple of times. I thought he cornered well, so I was very pleased."

Against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 3, Maybin sacked fellow 2009 first-round pick Matt Stafford (No. 1 overall) and forced a fumble when he stripped the ball loose.

"That's really good news for us," Jauron said in a postgame press conference. "We're counting on (him) to make plays, that's why we drafted (him), that's what was so disappointing that it took Aaron so long to get back with it."

As for the holdout, Maybin said the team's fans have not held it against him, and that it was something that "nobody really understands unless you've been in the situation."

LaVar Arrington, the former Penn State and NFL linebacker, became friends with Maybin when he was in high school. Arrington is now part of Maybin's management team. He told the Associated Press in mid-August that Maybin's contract negotiatons stalled because the No. 10 draft pick, Michael Crabtree, was holding out. Crabtree's contract could be used to determine Maybin's value, Arrington reasoned.

Arrington also told the AP that Maybin was in tears at having to watch the Bills' first preseason game on TV, and not from the field.

For his part, Maybin stayed in excellent shape during the holdout, and showed up ready to go after he signed on Aug. 21.

"I'm overly ecstatic that the business part of it is over," Maybin told the Bills Web site. "I'm just so happy about the fact that I get to join my teammates again and get back on the field."

Just a year ago Maybin was a junior in college. Now he is a budding NFL star with fans across the nation and millions of dollars to his name. He says that he is building a house for his parents in South Carolina, and that he has started a foundation in his name.

In addition to his Web site, aaronmaybin.com, he has Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace pages that are followed by thousands. There is even a song, called the Aaron Maybin song, that is making its rounds on the Internet. Maybin's star is rising, and his NFL career has only just begun, but he still remembers that it all started in Ellicott City.

"I try to keep in touch...but people say I'm hard to get in touch with," he said. "All the people that knew me growing up, I definitely thank everyone for the support."

And he's definitely looking forward to tonight's opener.

"It's the beginning of the culmination (of a dream)," Maybin said. "I have a lot of goals that I've yet to accomplish (in the NFL.)."

He'll take his first step tonight.

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