Crowds of people clad in green and gold jersey were abuzz at Lambeau Field on Tuesday, as the Green Bay Packers kicked off their annual training camp.
Ahead of an early morning practice, kids from across Wisconsin and even out of state showed up with their bikes in the hopes that a player would hop on and ride to practice.
The Dream Drive, as it's now called, dates back to the Vince Lombardi era. Players ride kids' bikes to and from practice, with children typically allowed to hold their helmets.
"It's kind of exciting, because I'm wondering if someone will pick me," said Jaclyn Luby, 7, of Green Bay.
"It's just a great tradition for the kids," said Jacyln's mother, Denise Luby. "When else can they meet a Packer and even have one ride their bike?"
Ryan Eisenhardt and his 8-year old son, Henry, drove up from Arlington Heights, Illinois. They also attended part of training camp last year.
But this year, Henry was one of the kids picked by a player to participate in the Dream Drive.
"We got here a little earlier this year," said Ryan Eisenhardt. "We hoped that would improve our chances.
Fans taking in practice at Ray Nitschke Field said they could sense excitement in the air all around Green Bay.
"It's the Packers. We love it. We live it. We breathe it," said Isaac Jones, of Hudson, Wisconsin. "This is our opportunity to just get completely immersed in it."
"I'm just excited to see all the big name players, like Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews," said Ethan Von Hedemann, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "This is the first time I'll be able to watch them live."
More than 90,000 people are expected to attend Packers training camp.
