Players on a new football team in Virginia City are truly tackling their dreams. 

“Guys that thought they were done with football or couldn’t play anymore decided that ya know, maybe they could still play and we’ve got some of the top talent in the county and we’re going to have a great team this year,” said Defensive Lineman Chris Henderson.

It’s a second chance for athletes to continue their football careers. Virginia City’s new semi-pro football team, The Nevada Dream is made up of 60 men ranging in age from 18-34.

“You’ve got your typical 9-5 guys, personal bankers, you know office workers, administrative assistants  etcetera etcetera...then they get on the field and a puff of smoke comes up and they turn into mad men,” said Henderson.

Most of the players played high school ball in the Reno area then continued their careers into D1 schools and even into the NFL.

“You know I still got it and I like to come out here you know, prove it, show it on the field it’s just fun it’s a good stress relief from your day to day activities,” said Henderson

Team managers say the small town of Virginia City is the perfect location to live out the dream. The high school here lends them their equipment and lets them use their field for practice.

“It’s one of those things where it was a blessing to have up here, of course it is a little bit away from Reno but only 15 minutes up the hill it’s the nation’s largest historical landmark and one of the best fields in the country. It’s a good fit for us.”

The Dream is registered with two leagues, the Gridiron Developmental Football League with 120 teams coast to coast and the GWFL. They’re hoping to draw in a family friendly crowd at this weekend’s season opener against the top ranked pacific islanders.

“From being around the guys and seeing where they come from and how they prepare, I feel like we’re going to do pretty good.”

Quarterback Chris Williams is originally from Virginia and fresh out of the military. He says the whole minor league experience is about more than just good football. “It’s just really just mostly about the camaraderie, just being around the guys every day you know just something special about being in a locker room with a bunch of guys sharing one goal.” 

His teammates agree, “it’s just a totally different it kind of takes you back you know your high school days when football was fun when you came out here and you played for fun.”

Kickoff is this Saturday at 3 o’clock, tickets sell for $5 at the gate.  For more information visit  www.nevadadream.com