As players arrived at Saint Vincent College there were hugs and handshakes, and a lot of smiles as teammates gathered once again to begin the journey towards a Super Bowl.
And when it comes to the team's offensive linemen, the reunion is always special as they have such a tight bond, friends on and off the field. So it only makes sense that Ramon Foster and Maurkice Pouncey are suitemates at training camp, because the two will spend plenty of time together over the next month.
"We are two guys that understand what is going on," said Foster. "We get to go back to our rooms and unwind. We have our own rooms, but we are around each other."
Foster brought his PlayStation and all the other essentials, but Pouncey arrived empty handed, a veteran move on his part as he had all of his stuff shipped a few days prior.
"I am just ready," said Pouncey. "The first day you are anxious and ready to get out there and see what the team is going to be all about. We are laying the foundation and we will see how things turn out for us."
The expectations are high after a record-setting year for the offense in 2014, but these guys know they can't rest on their laurels.
"We played as a team last year," said Pouncey. "The offensive line played really well. The defense played well. We just have to keep building on last year. That was last year. I wish we could live in the past but we can't. We have to go back out there and prove ourselves this year.
"We are excited. We have to keep working. Never have the mindset that last year was good enough. Keep pushing forward and fix the things we messed up on."
And as expected, Foster feels the same way.
"This year we can't be the same," said Foster. "We have to change in the sense of being on top of everything we do. Teams are going to know what we are doing now being that everybody is back and we have that year behind us. We have to evolve. It can't be the same thing. We have to show improvement every week this year.
"We are ready to get the small stuff out of the way and get to the fields. Get straight to football."
Veteran linebacker Arthur Moats didn't bring a lot with him to camp, bringing his laptop, a book and cell phone to help pass the time during quiet moments. But he knows there aren't many of those, as camp is about football and team bonding.
"I am definitely excited to get back," said Moats. "I love playing football and we get to get back to what we do. I love the camaraderie. We are only around our teammates for a month in that isolated mentality and just being able to bond and tighten up that brotherhood."
Rookie tight end Jesse James was an early arrival at camp, and is ready for his first experience at Saint Vincent College.
"I am excited to get to work," said James. "It's my first camp. I got in the best shape I could and got prepared for it. We want to get some work done and get prepared for the season."
