Argos’ Daniels will try to outwit his dad

The Hamilton Tiger-cats remain Toronto’s biggest CFL rival, but receiver Davaris Daniels has the Argonauts’ dates with the Saskatchewan Roughriders circled on his calendar.

Toronto visits Regina on July 4 and hosts Saskatchewan on Aug. 22. Those games are significant to Daniels because his father, Phillip, is in his first season as Saskatchewan’s defensive line coach.

“I never thought I’d ever be in this position playing against my dad,” Daniels said with a chuckle. “It’s a wild dynamic and I think the wildest part of it is my mom has to figure out what colours she wants to wear when we play against each other. I don’t know how she’s going to do it. There’s a lot of pressure on her.”

Phillip Daniels joined Saskatchewan following four seasons as a coach with the NFL’S Philadelphia Eagles (earning a Super Bowl ring in 2018) and a year in Washington’s front office. Daniels also played 15 seasons as a defensive lineman with Seattle (1996-99), Chicago (2000-03) and Washington (2004-10). And with football as a common bond, Davaris Daniels has often leaned on his father.

“It’s exciting for the game, I think it’s exciting for the league and it’s exciting for our family,” he said. “I think (coaching in football-mad Saskatchewan) is the best kind of atmosphere and environment he needs to be introduced to the CFL.

“Obviously, he’s on the opposite side of the ball, so when I’m on the field I won’t get to watch as much. But when we’re not playing them, I’ll watch that D-line and see what they’re doing.”

But his father won’t be the only familiar face Daniels will see with Saskatchewan. Rookie head coach Corey Mace i s Toronto’s former defensive co-ordinator, while Daniels also has a history with offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller, secondary coach Josh Bell and receivers coach Marquay Mcdaniel.

Also, running back A.J. Ouellette, who rushed for 1,009 yards last season with Toronto, joined the Riders in free agency. Daniels, 31, is entering his fourth season in Toronto and eighth in the CFL.

He had 52 catches for a career-best 1,009 yards with eight touchdowns last season.