BUTTE — Thursday at Naranche Stadium was all about fun, inspiration and dreaming big.
After a two-year break, Colt Anderson's Dream Big Montana skills camp returned to Butte on a warm and sunny afternoon. Hundreds of kids in kindergarten through eight grade showed up to participate and meet some inspiring people.
PHOTOS: COLT ANDERSON DREAM BIG SKILLS CAMP
"This is awesome, there's no place like home," said Anderson, who is heading into his third season as the assistant special teams coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and coming off a Super Bowl run.
Among the notable people at the camp was Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen who was born in small-town Colorado and played football for Division II CSU Pueblo.
It may not seem like the ideal steps for a future NFL star, but Jensen bucked the trend and is now heading into his ninth season. Along the way he's won a Super Bowl ring and gone to the Pro Bowl.
"A lot of people say that big things can't come out of a small town," Jensen said. "I'm one of the people that has proven that notion wrong. That's what this foundation is about and this camp is about is dreaming big. Whether that's in football or sports or as a person. Being able to dream big is huge."
Also at the camp was Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott. Like Anderson, his hometown of Butte was a springboard to greater football achievements. Coming back to the Mining City for a few days to help out was a way for him to give back to the community that means so much to him.
"The love and support I've felt all four years of high school and the support I got growing up, it was unbelievably special," Mellott said. "It's certainly one of the reasons why I'm having the success I am over in Bozeman. The very least I could do is come back here for a couple days and be part of this great opportunity."
