McDaniel still going strong for Stamps
Veteran receiver remains the top target for starting QB Mitchell heading into the 2017 CFL season
CALGARY — Slotback Marquay McDaniel realizes that age eventually catches up with every gridiron great.
After celebrating his 33rd birthday in April, the cagey pass catcher knows some might question the odds of him holding onto his title as the undisputed No. 1 receiver for the Calgary Stampeders.
In 16 games last season, McDaniel led the Stamps in catches (83) and receiving yards (1,074). On the eve of training camp, the Virginia Beach, Va., product sees no reason why he can’t put up even better numbers in 2017 as one of the primary targets for quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.
“I think people on my team — the coaching staff and Bo — know the numbers I could put up compared to other people,” the 6-foot, 200-pound McDaniel says. “I’m not a selfish guy. As long as we’re winning and I’m involved, I’m happy.
“But at the same time, it’s motivation for me. I like that people say, ‘Oh, he’s getting older.’ I like trying to keep up with the young guys.”
With nine years of CFL service on his resume, McDaniel figures he has a distinct advantage on some of the wildly talented, but inexperienced receivers on the three-down circuit.
“It’s not just a physical game,” he said. “It’s a mental game with teams playing zone. And that’s one thing I’m good at — playing zone.
“I know how to find holes. I know our offence. I know what defences are trying to do. And I think that just helps my game.”
McDaniel’s contract status proved one of the most intriguing — and stress-inducing — storylines of the off-season for diehard Stamps fans.
Let’s be clear: McDaniel is not the flashiest receiver in the league nor the fastest.
Dependability is his calling card (he is widely seen as a security blanket for Mitchell in times of trouble).
Want to know why Mitchell struggled through the first three quarters of a 39-33 Grey Cup loss to the Ottawa Redblacks?
The fact McDaniel left the game early with a shoulder injury likely has something to do with it.
“I couldn’t really lift my arm at all,” McDaniel said. “I didn’t want to be in there and try to play and to have Bo throw me a ball or something and I couldn’t go get it.
“I knew we had a healthy Bakari Grant. He knew what he was doing. He was comfortable in my spot. He had been practising there during the week. So I was like, ‘Hey, it wasn’t meant for me to play.’”
For several months, it looked like McDaniel wasn’t meant to play in Calgary this season due to an impasse in contract negotiations. McDaniel’s frustration was evident by his posts on social media as the weeks dragged by without negotiation.
About two weeks before the free-agency deadline, Stamps president/general manager John Hufnagel connected with McDaniel’s agent. The Stampeders announced a new two-year deal on Feb. 14 just hours before McDaniel was eligible to test the open market.
“I never wanted to leave,” McDaniel says. “But football is a business and that’s what it basically came down to.”
With business out of the way, Mitchell is beyond thankful to still have No. 16 at his disposal.
“It was relieving,” he said of the day McDaniel re-signed with the Stamps. “I love Marquay. He’s a guy I respect so much. He’s a guy who I yearn to get respect from. He demands respect from people. He walks to into the room and you want to be talking about the right things.
“He’s a guy you need in the locker-room. He’s a steady hand for us and always making plays.”