Daniels looks to bury memories of BCS blowout
Stampeders receiver has penchant for playing his best in big games
The memories of 2013 still linger for DaVaris Daniels.
That was the last time Daniels played for a national championship.
Daniels suited up for the No. 1-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish in that year’s BCS Championship game against the No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and was on the receiving end of an emphatic 42-14 beating.
That type of loss leaves a bruise and after more than three years spent licking his wounds, Daniels will finally be offered a shot at redemption when he steps onto the field for the Calgary Stampeders in Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Ottawa Redblacks.
Make no mistake, the two games are connected in Daniels’ mind.
“Oh for sure, I still think about that loss every day,” the 23-yearold rookie said.
“Every day I step onto the football field and that game was the biggest game of my life and I fell short.
“I’m not looking to fall short this time.”
If the Stampeders are to walk away as CFL champions this weekend, Daniels likely has a big role to play.
Fortunately, his previous national championship experience suggests he’s more than capable of rising to the challenge.
While the 2013 BCS Championship was a terrible game for the Fighting Irish, it was a breakout game for Daniels.
The Illinois native finished with six receptions for 115 yards — the most of any receiver on either team — and it can be argued he was the best Notre Dame player on the day.
When he thinks about the game, though, his star-making performance doesn’t help ease the pain.
“It was tough just to make it that far and not come up with anything was a disappointment,” Daniels said. “This time around it’s kind of redemption for me. I want to hold a trophy over my head and just be able to say I am a champion and this is something I worked for, this team worked for and we finally got it.”
In last weekend’s West Division Final, Daniels proved yet again that he rises to the occasion when the pressure is highest.
Daniels was masterful against the B.C. Lions, finishing the game with 107 yards on four receptions.
One of those receptions will live long in the memories of Stamps fans, too, as Daniels caught a second-quarter pass from quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and promptly took off downfield for a 76-yard touchdown.
It was exactly what fans have come to expect from Daniels, who didn’t even get his first game action until Week 9, but quickly became one of Mitchell’s go-to targets.
After debuting with a 66-yard performance against the Lions, Daniels would go on to put up big numbers for the rest of the year, including a two-game stretch in
Every day I step onto the football field and that game was the biggest game of my life and I fell short.
October during which he went off for 123 receiving yards against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 15 and 126 yards against the Toronto Argonauts a week later.
Daniels finished the regular season with 885 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, but you get the idea that despite putting up such huge numbers he somehow believes he needs to win the Grey Cup this weekend to really feel as if he’s proven himself.
The lessons he learned in 2013 should help out in that regard and Daniels doesn’t sound like a man who is going to allow himself to get distracted by any of Toronto’s bright lights.
“We were in Miami (in 2013) and there was a lot going on, just like here in Toronto, and you see where guys’ focus is and how important the game is,” Daniels said. “It’s a fun time, but you’ve got to realize it’s business and take care of that.”