Brock Osweiler returns to Kalispell stomping grounds

A quick glance at this scene would have initially seen a 17-year-old improvising due to a lack of cups, but upon closer inspection it was a different story. It was about the excitement of being back home, the feeling of being back in high school and a passion for football from someone who has experienced it at the highest level.

For the second summer in a row, Osweiler, a Kalispell Flathead legend, returned to the scene of many successful Friday nights, hosting an early morning quarterback throwing session and a two-hour kids’ camp.

Just riding the route Osweiler and his teammates ran before the game Saturday morning some 16 years ago stirred intense emotions for the 2008-09 Montana Football Gatorade Player of the Year and seven-year NFL veteran.

“There was a new sense of energy in my soul,” Osweiler told 406 MT Sports. “Driving up 3rd Avenue West, going to the stadium, seeing the stadium — a lot of great memories…

“Some of my fondest memories come from playing American football in high school.”

Saturday was all about teaching and motivating.

Osweiler told both groups of promising players they had to get what they wanted out of football, a concept that “clicked” in Denver after conversations with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.

“I always kept in the back of my mind, ‘Work as hard as you can,’” Osweiler said.

“That way, if you ultimately fail or don’t win the game, you can at least go to bed at night knowing that you did everything you could to be successful.”

He told the Flathead players a story about how he head-butted a Glacier defender after scoring a touchdown on Oct. 12, 2007, during the first-ever Kalispell crosstown football game, and how he regularly checks in on the program where his passion lies.

“I remember scoring a touchdown and I was so excited and energized that I think I blacked out for a moment,” Osweiler said with a smile.

“I shared that message to let them know the passion behind the rivalry and what that rivalry means to the guys who have played in it in the past. Now it’s their turn to take responsibility and continue the Flathead Way.”

Osweiler joked about NFL Hall of Famer and former teammate Peyton Manning during a footwork and dodging drill, and said his first summer jobs in the city involved moving piles of bricks and working at Valley Glass, just down the road.

After camp, he was greeted by a handful of locals with “remember me” stories and more than a few campers wanting gear or gray camp T-shirts signed by the former Bronco, Texan and Dolphin signal-caller. Osweiler spent 20 minutes signing for each kid, stopping to take pictures in between chats about Montana football or the glory days.

“It means everything to me,” Osweiler said of his homecoming. “I was fortunate enough to be inducted into the Montana Football Hall of Fame recently. Most of my speech was about Montana.

“Although I no longer live in the state, it is close to my heart.”

A special part of Osweiler’s homecoming was sharing moments with his 4- and 7-year-old daughters, taking them to his favorite spots around town. They hugged their father Saturday as camp wrapped up on the field where Osweiler’s stardom was born and he returned to cultivate more among the 200-plus campers.

“(Football) has given me life experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Osweiler said.

“It taught me how to compete, taught me what is tough, taught me perseverance. How to experience adversity and how to deal with it. Football taught me everything, it gave me everything, it gave my family a better life. It is a sport that I love dearly.”

Osweiler called playing in the NFL a boyhood dream.

He played in Mexico City, quarterbacked a 2016 playoff victory with the Houston Texans and won a Super Bowl ring.

Still, Osweiler has failed to achieve goals, aspects of a longer-than-average professional career, that he’d rather not dwell on as he competes against the next generation of players or finds creative ways to stay hydrated.

Osweiler currently lives in Idaho and continues to chase the game he loves. He visited Montana just after Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas, where he covered the event as an ESPN College Football analyst.

“You quickly realize at that level that not many players can decide for themselves when they stop playing professional football,” Osweiler said.

“I had some of the best teammates and coaches of all time. Ultimately, the word would just be: grateful.”