Spartanburg High Shool football team joins Carolina Panthers at practice

Spartanburg HS @ Carolina Panthers Training Camp 3,489 views 0:45

Video: Spartanburg High School at Carolina Panthers training camp
View images of the Vikings working out with NFC champion Carolina Panthers.

Spartanburg (S.C.) football coach Chris Miller thought someone was playing a joke on him.

His Vikings were invited to practice with some Panthers — the ones from the National Football League.

In what is believed to be an unprecedented invitation from an NFL team, the Carolina Panthers asked a high school squad over for practice Thursday at Wofford College. Spartanburg gladly accepted.

The high school players were greeted by such stars as Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis as the two squads converged in a joint practice.

"It's amazing to me that we were invited to do that," Miller told goupstate.com reporter Kevin Melton on Wednesday. "What an opportunity as a coach or a player to be on the field as the top people in our profession."

In Thursday's morning practice, players from both teams warmed up and stretched together. There was no physical contact between the two squads. It was a good chance to get muscles loose for Spartanburg, which had a scheduled scrimmage with Broome and Dutch Fork later in the day.

With decline in participation numbers at the lower levels, the NFL has made a concerted effort to reach out to younger players. This is part of its "Play Football Month" program. Expect more dual practices among the preps and pros.

Spartanburg won a 4A Division II state title in Miller's first season in 2014 and reached the semifinals last year.

The Vikings play home games at Gibbs Stadium on the campus of Wofford, where the Panthers annually hold training camp. When Miller announced the joint practice, "I think some of our players fell over," he told Melton.

Judging from the looks on the Spartanburg players, they were still largely in awe on Thursday.