For the thousands of fans planning on attending Kansas City Chiefs training camp over the next three weeks, feel good in knowing that your presence is appreciated by those you're there to watch.
And it's not just lip service.
The players truly feed off the energy brought forth by Chiefs Kingdom at these practices.
"Absolutely, I definitely know they're there," quarterback Alex Smith said on Tuesday. "Fans bring an energy to practice on some of those days where you're a little sore and it's a little earlier, and you might not have gotten as much sleep the night before, or when the pads don't feel as good when you're putting them on.
"When you walk out there and the fans are jacked and pumped to come out to practice, that kind of lifts you. It lifts you through some of that soreness and it pushes you every single practice because you go out there to compete and people are watching. That's kind of what I think makes camp special."
Another aspect of what makes camp special, other than it being the only time that fans can watch their favorite team practice, is that these players are back to living the college life.
They stay in the dorms together on the campus of Missouri Western State University. They eat all their meals together and attend meetings, workouts and practices together.
"We depend on each other," Smith said. "You're around each other 24-7. Where else do you get to experience something like this? It's special. It can be tough at times. Everything around from the meetings to the practices to all the time in between, whether you're hanging out in the cold tubs or in the training room or the locker room.
"All of that stuff and everything in between is really special time. That's where you kind of become a team."
Chiefs rookies, quarterbacks and coaching staff arrive at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph Missouri for the 2015 Training Camp.
There are no distractions. It's all about football for these guys over these three weeks.
"The camaraderie that takes place up here, that's what carries you through road games during the season," coach Andy Reid said.
The Chiefs will hold 14 practices open to the public during training camp. See the schedule HERE.
"Every day is critical, every single day," Smith said. "I think once the vets get here (on Friday) we'll have two weeks before our first preseason game and then things are going to change from there. Before you know it, we'll be playing the opener. So every single day is critical.
"Take advantage of the reps you have—they are finite. You have to make the most of them."
