RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesPackers coach Matt LaFleur said he's as excited as he's ever been during his time in Green Bay to coach this Packers team. Apparently he's not alone in his excitement, judging by the large turnout of fans on July 29 for the first day of Packers training camp.
A number of fans who are regular training camp attendees remarked on the how much bigger the turnout was than in recent years, plus, the line of kids hoping to get a player to ride their bicycle to practice extended from the locker room door at Lambeau Field to Oneida Street, partly in double rows. That might have been a first.
Lauren Gray of Roscoe, Illinois, and her daughter Ava, 11, were back for the first time in seven years. When Ava was 4, she got Curtis Bolton, who signed with the Packers in 2019 but didn't make the active roster, to walk her and her bike to the practice field.
"She was so excited. She was high-fiving people, waving to people. She was eating it all up," Lauren Gray said.
Ava was hoping for a repeat on Wednesday, but even with a roster that can be as big as 90 players, there weren't enough to pick every kid and their bike.
The niece and nephew of Seth Peterson of Green Bay were among the lucky ones. Caroline, 9, and Henry, 6, both of St. Louis, did secure escort duties for two Packers players. Also, Caroline had an autograph from her rider, cornerback Shemar Bartholomew. She said she was going to give a picture of the autographed sign to a friend for her birthday.
The players-riding-bikes tradition goes back to at least 1958, according to Packers historian Cliff Christl . The Packers are the only team in the NFL with such a tradition. Packers president and CEO Ed Policy said it further enhances the connection between fans and players. The first time he saw it in action 14 years ago, "it kind of brought a tear to my eye," he said.
Photo, video restrictions
The Packers tried to more rigorously enforce a ban on taking photos and videos during certain parts of the practice, but there seemed to be some confusion.
Media members, who are on the field, have long adhered to that requirement, but it's much harder to police several thousand fans sitting around three sides of the field.
At the north end of Ray Nitschke Field, signs on the fence admonished fans not to make photographs or videos during restricted times, and ushers walked around carrying signs − green for when shooting was allowed and red for when it was not − but one usher believed that the ban was on any photographs or video, whether directed toward the field or elsewhere, which even the Packers don't have the authority to do.
The purpose, of course, is to keep opponents from learning, directly or indirectly, anything the Packers might want to keep secret, such as special plays, player performances and the like. Much of those parts of the practice were held at the south end of the field, where fewer fans could see the details of what was happening.
The sky was cloudless and the temperature in the high 70s for the practice, which began at 10:30 a.m. and wrapped up about noon. That's cooler than normal for the start of training camp, although ushers did run out of hand-held fans with Devonte Wyatt's face on them about halfway through practice.
Geronimo Allison, who played receiver for the Packers from 2016-2019, was the first alumni posing for photos with fans. He welcomed a steady stream of fans who wanted photos with him and autographs.
Allison said these days he's "just taking care of my family." He's the father of two daughters, which has its own challenges and rewards. "I have a house full of women," he said, with a big smile.
Contact Richard Ryman at [email protected] . Follow him on X at @RichRymanPG and on Instagram at @rrymanPG .
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers fans flock to Lambeau Field for training camp start
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