FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots held their first public practice of training camp Thursday, much to the delight of the thousands of fans who made the early-morning trip to Gillette Stadium.
Hordes of Patriots supporters arrived at the stadium hours before the 9:15 a.m. ET training camp session and then came sprinting through the gates to the practice field immediately after they opened at 8:30 a.m.
“We sell out all these practices, which is super cool,” tight end Rob Gronkowski said. “You’ve got to give huge credit to our fans. They’re always there. During practice, during games, during tough times, during good times. You’ve got to give them huge credit. A sellout crowd — I don’t even know how many it holds there, but they’re always cheering. Even if it’s a dropped pass, they’re cheering, which makes it funny and gets you through practice.
“Hopefully they keep on staying loud and proud.”
The Patriots will be back on the practice field Friday at 9:15 a.m. That session also will be open to the public.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
