GREEN BAY, Wis. ā Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones and his Green Bay Packers teammates have resumed an annual preseason ritual after a pandemic-imposed hiatus by riding bicycles to training camp workouts.
But at least for this year, the players canāt borrow those bikes from young fans.
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The Packersā change in protocol reflects how the NFL has adapted its training camp policy while welcoming back spectators, who weren't allowed at workouts last summer. Fans can't interact with players and must remain over 20 feet away from them.
The changes are particularly apparent in Green Bay, where fans have been loaning Packers players bikes to travel to practice since the 1950s.
āI love the tradition,ā Jones said. āItās special.ā
That tradition was tweaked this year. No longer can fans loan their bicycles to players. The Packers instead have new Schwinn bikes they can use.
Similar changes have taken place at other training camps.
For instance, Matt Anderson of Richfield, Minnesota, brought his 14-year-old son to the Minnesota Vikingsā first workout. That typically would have been an ideal setting for the teenager to seek autographs from his favorite players.
Not this year.
The Vikings have compensated by conducting autograph sessions with Hall of Famers Carl Eller, Randall McDaniel and John Randle, plus other former players. Anderson says he still got a taste of what makes training camp special even under the current restrictions.
āThe opportunity to get close to them, even (this year), you could give a shoutout to a player and get a reaction from them,ā Anderson said. āThatās a unique thing from a football perspective, to have that proximity to a player and get that interaction with them.ā
NFL officials say about 1 million people attended various training camp workouts across the country in 2019, the year before the pandemic. About 200,000 fans attended training camp sessions July 31, a day the NFL billed as āBack Together Saturday.ā
Players appreciate the fans' presence after going through training camp without any spectators last year.
āWe talked about how people are giving up vacation time to come watch us practice,ā Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said. āThat sums it up right there. Honestly, it makes coming out to practice on a 95-degree day feel like a privilege, when you realize thatās what fans are doing.ā
They like hearing the applause again.
When Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a ball about 50 yards into a 2-foot hoop in the end zone Thursday, fans roared their approval. Only teammates would have been able to cheer that type of play a year ago.
āLast year it was pretty quiet,ā Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling said. āYou could hear the cars driving by and that was pretty much it.ā
Packers officials said Thursday they have averaged about 2,100 fans per practice session and indicated it was slightly below their pre-pandemic figures. They noted the 2018 and '19 attendance totals were higher than usual because of Packers Experience, a festival featuring live music and skills activities that wasn't possible this year due to health protocols.
But the biggest change in Green Bay involves the bike tradition. In previous summers, a player often would use the same kidās bike throughout training camp. Players built friendships with the kids who loaned them bikes.
āMy bike rider, Iām still super close with him,ā Jones said. āHeās always out there at practice. I see him all the time.ā
Now the Packers have posted messages on the bike path reminding fans that players arenāt allowed to ātake a selfie with you, play catch, provide an autograph, fist bump or even high-five.ā
āI understand them,ā said Ben Hurley, a 14-year-old Packers fan from Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. āWeāve got to keep the players safe and have them ready to play, especially with the strict rules and the fines they can get. But itās a little frustrating.ā
Colin McCabe, a 19-year-old Packers fan, has attended training camp since he was about 12 and let players ride his bike to practice when he was younger. His 11-year-old brother, Liam, started loaning his bike to players at the age of four.
āItās so different,ā said McCabe, who lives about four blocks from the Packers' practice fields. āIām glad that itās somewhat normal where we get to see the players walk down and ride bikes, but the whole tradition of players interacting with the kids and the fans, itās way different. Itās the world we live in, but itās kind of sad to see it change that way.ā
Itās not the same as before the pandemic, but at least it isnāt a repeat of 2020.
Many NFL teams didnāt play any home games in front of paying spectators last year. They love seeing fans back and look forward to playing preseason games in front of crowds.
āAfter everything that we went through last year, itās great to see fans out there today, and itāll be great to see them this year,ā Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said after a practice last week.
Having fans at training camp sites represents one giant step toward normalcy. Maybe next year the players and fans will be able to interact a little more.
āI really hope so, especially for my brotherās sake,ā McCabe said. āHe looks forward to this every season. Heāll wake up at like 4 in the morning when it comes to Packers training camp and be like, āOh, we get to go today.ā
āItās better than Christmas for a lot of kids.ā
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AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report.
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