Five Schriever Air Force Base Airmen went head-to-head with nine other military teams during a National Football League-style boot camp Aug. 25, at the Denver Broncos' Dove Valley Fieldhouse in Englewood, Colorado.

The event was sponsored by USAA in partnership with the Broncos to show appreciation for military service members in the Colorado Springs and Denver areas.

The combine consisted of five different football drills that each team of five attempted for speed, strength and accuracy. Team Schriever’s first drill was the gauntlet, a five-part agility course relay where the Airmen had to high-knee over and tap short barriers, bear crawl through cones, carry a dummy bag to the next point, weave through inflatable dummies and finally sprint to the finish.

Team Schriever then moved on to a 100-yard dash with a heavy bag, a 20-yard heavy bag sled-push, a kneeling power ball launch for distance and a catching drill.

Instructors lead teams through each drill and kept score based on a points system.

Airman 1st Class Kyle James Lucas, 50th Operations Support Squadron, played as a walk-on linebacker for Pennsylvania State University for two years. The training camp was a familiar environment for him.

“Some of the drills we did were drills we went through when I was a linebacker Penn State, so it felt normal again,” said Lucas. “I was back out there with the team going through a training camp, going through a regular practice, and then, with the camaraderie with the team, with the guys and gals we just met, it felt like a real football environment again.”

According to Airman 1st Class Daultyn Kline, 50th Communications Squadron, the camaraderie was evident, as Team Schriever took third overall, an impressive feat since most of the team never met each other before.

“I actually didn’t know who I was coming here with, I basically met up with them a couple minutes before the first drill,” he explained. “We had a pretty good team, we were pretty balanced in my opinion. We all worked well together.”

After the drill portion of the event, the attendees and their families relaxed and ate lunch as well as participated in a raffle give-away. The event concluded with a brief meet-and-greet and autograph signing with Broncos players after practice.

“It was a great opportunity, coming here and actually doing it -- I am proud of myself and our team as well,” said Airman 1st Class Monique Pucci, 50th Force Support Squadron military personnel section. “I appreciate the things (USAA and the Broncos) did for us, Schriever is a little far out there. So for us to be able to attend and represent, I wouldn’t want to be with any other base.”