Branden Oliver walked through the lobby, surveying the scene at the team hotel.
To his left was a group of teammates he hadn't seen in over a month, asking how he spent his time since mini camp ended.
Straight ahead was a pair of coaches also welcoming him back.
Suitcases in tow, the popular running back headed toward the elevator and up to the room he'll call home for the next month.
"Man, this is just like summer camp," he said with a broad grin. "Catching up with the guys after not seeing them for a long time. It's like when you were a kid on the first day of camp catching up with old friends. It feels good to be in this environment in a new city. It's good to be here. We're ready to get out there with (Head) Coach (Anthony) Lynn."
A few yards away, Jahleel Addae offered a similar message.
"It's good to see so many familiar faces. We've all been grinding with guys back home and players from other teams (the past few weeks). Now we're back in our home. We're back with our brothers. These are the guys we're going to war with. It's refreshing to see everyone from my teammates to the coaches all the way down to the nutritionist. Everyone here plays a part. We're ready to get to work."
Truth be told, each Charger checking into the hotel shared similar sentiments. All in all, they expressed a singular focus best summed up by Brandon Mebane.
"We are all excited to be a part of something special. This is fun. We know we have an opportunity not many have. We want to put something special together. We're motivated. We're going to take it one day at a time, one practice at a time, and one game at a time. Our goal is to win the AFC West and go from there. If we can do that, everything else will take care of itself. But we're excited."
Following a day of meetings and tests on Saturday, the team will take the field for the first training camp practice Sunday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa.
"I can't wait!" Jason Verrett said. "This is something I've been waiting for for a long time. Getting the chance to see all the guys again, we're back in town and excited to take over! Our focus is to create something new and special in LA. We're excited to start this 2017 season."
"I'm just excited to play ball again with my teammates!" Addae added. "We all can't wait to get back out there. We feel it in the air. We want to do something special. Personally, the contract I signed to come back here was a blessing, but I'm never satisfied. I've got something to prove. As a team, we've got something to prove. So we're ready to get out there and get to work."
One of the first to check in was Jatavis Brown, who enters his second season looking to build off a dynamic rookie campaign. Shortly after picking up his set of keys, Brown offered a message to all Chargers fans.
"We're going to always compete. That's our focus. That is what we're going to be doing at training camp. We want to have a special year. It's (amazing) to be here and see all these guys. We're building our team chemistry. We're grinding together. I think we're a team that (the fans will be) proud to root for."
