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GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers officially kicked off the season with the start of training camp at the Ray Nitschke Field on Thursday. Fans flocked in from all over the country, embracing the opportunity to praise their beloved Packers. Players wasted no time tackling their first day of training camp...neither did their faithful fans when it came to filling up the seats and the sidelines.

Training camp provides something any die hard fan wants:  some one-on-one with their favorite athletes.

“It was great! You got to be really up close to the players,” said California resident Katy Montecino. “My son was able to get a bunch of autographs.”

Players say the love and support they receive adds to the fame of being a Packer.

“Having everybody out there for practice shows there’s a sense of unity,” said quarterback B.J. Coleman. “The community here is so behind the team.”

Despite the heat, the team trained hard. After last year's amazing performance of 15-1 came to a halt with a loss to the Giants in the divisional playoffs, Packers say they are doing everything they can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“We're trying to achieve greatness, and that's kind of where we want to be,” said wide receiver Donald Driver.

If you’re interested in seeing Packer players up close in training camp, you can check out the complete schedule:

2012 Training Camp Practice and Dates