For football players across mid-Missouri the football camp means it's time to tape up and learn lesson after lesson.

"It's more for team unity than anything. Come out here and work hard, get to know each other and work on your stuff. You come out a better football team," said Tedder Easton, Rock Bridge running back.

More players than ever are flocking to Missouri football team camps.

"We've been winning more. They've won. They only lost two games last year and they ended fourth in the nation. So it's a good program, starting to really show itself out," said Trey Millard, Rock Bridge linebacker.

A Friday at camp is no ordinary night when you spend it on a football field under the lights.

"It's game time. It's love of football. It starts everything. It's like life," Millard said.

Rock Bridge gets to play a game against Hickman on Faurot Field every season so they know why it's special.

"This is why we play, to get better. To have the fans, the noise, the lights," Easton said.

The Hallsville Indians play their first ever varsity game this coming season.

"This is more nerve racking because Mizzou plays here and we all watch them on TV. You can see it on the jumbo tron. It's pretty nerve racking, but you just have to put those aside and go do what you can do," said Blake Berkbuegler, Hallsville quarterback.

Under the lights, with crowd noise pumped in through the speakers, heroes are made.

"It's crazy. It's just like you're out here among a bunch of people. It's amazing," said Alex Fricke, Freeburg, IL quarterback.

"To come and watch last year's home games and didn't miss a home game and then to be on the same field they were. It's amazing," said Josh Duncan, Hallsville lineman.

In a role reversal, Jeremy Maclin was watching them, and the kids were making memories to last forever.

"Friday night lights is something we've dreamt about since we were in 5th grade," Duncan said.

For a night the dreams come true, but then it's back to practice until reality hits them in the fall.

The first of two team camps brought out about seven hundred players, a few hundred more than the team camp attracted last year.