Luke Musgrave was back on the football field where his former coaches still call him “Lucas” and where he had a rather unprecedented rise during his high school career which eventually took him to Oregon State and then to the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.

He used his time before training camp starts in July to host a football camp for the local kids. More than 100 kids from ages six to 16 attended the first Luke Musgrave Football Camp at Bend High Tuesday evening.

“It was really good to be back and be with the kids,” Musgrave said. “I’ve had a lot of great memories here. It is kinda surreal to be back and relive those memories. I really appreciate where I came from.”

Despite a brief trip into the gym to avoid thunderstorms, the first time camp went along smoothly with a lot of laughs, photos and autographs to go along with playing football.

Twelve groups of roughly 12 campers each rotated through various football drills – tackling a giant padded wheel, footwork drills, one-on-ones in the endzone and more. But perhaps the most popular drill was a variation of touch football with Musgrave playing all-time quarterback.

“He tricked me one time,” said 12-year-old Tierson Moschetti of Culver. “(He made it seem) like he was passing it to me, then passed it to another kid but we still ended up celebrating.”

Added 12-year-old Baylor Drago who attends Central Christian: “I like playing with him and going through all the drills.”

Musgrave is entering his third season in the NFL, after being selected in the second round out of Oregon State. The 6-foot-6 tight end played in 11 games his rookie season, caught 34 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown during the regular season then scored a touchdown in the Packers’ blowout win over the Cowboys in the wild card round.

His second season he caught seven passes in seven games. Both years were marred by injuries. His rookie season he suffered a lacerated kidney and was put on the injured reserve list. Last fall he sustained a torn ligament in his ankle that required surgery to repair.

Green Bay’s training camp for the upcoming season begins July 23 with the Packers’ first preseason game Aug. 9 against the New York Jets.

Entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract, Musgrave is hoping to stay on the field more consistently this upcoming season.

“I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season,” he said. “I’m really hoping to stay healthy, but I’m excited to get started.”