Fans begin yearly pilgrimage to Latrobe for Steelers training camp, "Everyone is family."

Wednesday morning marked the beginning of the Steelers' training camp, and it was the first of 15 open practices, inviting thousands of fans to watch this year's edition of the black and gold. 

That meant many fans began lining up early to see their favorite team, including one person who was in Latrobe at 1 a.m. 

"In my opinion, if you're going to claim to be the biggest fan, you've got to show you're the biggest fan," said Cary Feltman, the first in line.

Whether it's new players, new coaches, autograph sessions, or just the desire to see the return of Steelers' football, the dedication stretched all the way down the line with fans eager to get to the field. 

"One of the things I like to do is collect autographs," said Elijah Fisher. "It's something I've done with my dad for a long time. I've been collecting them for about 10 years now." 

For many, training camp has become a summer tradition, but it doesn't mean that everyone in attendance at Chuck Noll Field has been coming for decades. After 64 years as a fan, Karen Knickerbocker said it was time to make a dream come true. 

"I'm 81, and I'm terminally ill, so this is my wish list," she said. "I'm kind of a Cam Heyward fan; I love them all. I love [Chris] Boswell and his kicks. I want to get Aaron Rodgers' [autograph] because of my grandson, but I'm a fan of every single one of them." 

While every fan has their own reason for coming to Saint Vincent College, it all leads back to hope for a new season of memories. 

"No expectations, I just go in and try to enjoy it," said Fisher. "It'll be interesting to see what's new under Coach McCarthy." 

"Family, everyone is family," added Feltman. "Talk to everyone, and we've all got opinions, so I love chatting with everyone." 

"Player connections, getting to see everybody, all the new players and old players and coaches, I'm excited to see everybody out there," Kenneth Mullin said. 

For those who may have missed the opening practice on Wednesday morning, many more are open to the public, and you can see the full schedule here.