Back in the Valley

Former NFL and Flathead Braves quarterback Brock Osweiler runs a drill with campers at the Flathead Braves Football Camp at Legends Stadium on Saturday, July 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Former NFL and Flathead Braves quarterback Brock Osweiler speaks to campers during the Flathead Braves Football Camp at Legends Stadium on Saturday, July 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Campers run pass-catching and defending drills at the Flathead Braves Football Camp hosted by former NFL and Flathead Braves quarterback Brock Osweiler at Legends Stadium on Saturday, July 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Former NFL and Flathead Braves quarterback Brock Osweiler plays defense during a quarterback drill at the Flathead Braves Football Camp at Legends Stadium on Saturday, July 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Campers run a tackling drill at the Flathead Braves Football Camp hosted by former NFL and Flathead Braves quarterback Brock Osweiler at Legends Stadium on Saturday, July 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by JON ALLEN
Staff Writer | July 21, 2024 8:23 AM

Former Flathead quarterback Brock Osweiler took the field at Legends Stadium one more time Saturday.

This time, he was helping coach over 200 current and future Braves at the Flathead football camp.

Osweiler reminisced about his youth football days and walking up Third Avenue West ahead of games each Friday night.

“Seeing those 200 third through eighth graders running around, I saw myself in so many of them,” said Osweiler, the former NFL quarterback and current ESPN football analyst. “It fills my heart with joy. Coming out on this football field, Legends Stadium, in the heat of summer was some of my best childhood memories.”

Campers split into age groups as they ran through different drills on both offense and defense, trying to work passing, catching, running and tackling. Following the drills campers gathered for some friendly competitions. including throwing accuracy, tug-of-war and a 50-yard dash.

Lunch and ice cream was provided for all campers after the day was over.

First on the field was a group of high school quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends for a throwing session as the Braves continue summer workouts ahead of the 2024 season.

Osweiler delivered a passionate message following the session about changing the narrative of Flathead football from recent seasons.

“My message to them was they’re going to dictate what their season is going be by how hard they work in the offseason,” Osweiler said. “My message was. ‘Listen you are out here working hard, that’s great, because today is going to decide if you win on Friday night in the fall.’

“You guys as football players have the opportunity to go change that narrative. You can change that narrative in the weight room, by coming out on the football field without your coaches and doing throwing sessions and having offensive and defensive linemen doing drills. You guys control that.”

This is the second year in a row that Osweiler made the trip up to Kalispell for a football camp. Osweiler and Braves head coach Caleb Aland said the turnout doubled from last summer.

Current Braves junior quarterback Eli Coopman, who is fighting for the starting job, said the team benefited greatly from that camp.

“I learned a lot from (Osweiler), he showed me a lot of mechanics and footwork drills, but also I can see his spirit and his willingness to work hard and just become a better football player,” Coopman said.

Though grateful for his time as a professional player, Osweiler says he sees the game in a different perspective now as an analyst and he strives to use both experiences when coaching.

“I think the more you can do within the sport and touch on different areas, the better coach you can be,” Osweiler said.