While his teammates were celebrating Marquay McDaniel found a reason to be angry at himself.

Early in the fourth quarter of the Calgary Stampeders’ decisive 37-9 win over the BC Lions Friday night, McDaniel caught a short pass from quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. Veteran Lions’ defensive back Ryan Phillips looked to have McDaniel tackled for a loss, but the Stampeder slotback shook him off like a dog does a flea, then rumbled for a five-yard gain before being stopped just inches short of crossing the goal line.

Backup quarterback Andrew Buckley scored on the next play. The convert made it 34-9 Calgary.

“I’m mad I didn’t score,” McDaniel said after the game, managing a smile. “I was on the half-yard line.”

Mitchell said he won’t let McDaniel forget he didn’t manage a touchdown on the play. The Stampeder quarterback also praised McDaniel for his grit and determination.

“He should have been tackled five yards back,” said Mitchell. “That is always going to spark (a team) when you see somebody give that extra effort, just kind of win a play himself.

“He’s a smart player. He is going to do that when it matters and he knows he has to do it.”

McDaniel was thrown to 13 times against the Lions. He finished with 10 catches for 80 yards. In nine games this year the 32-year-old from Virginia Beach, Va., has 50 catches for 606 yards and three touchdowns.

McDaniel’s number leaves him seventh among CFL receivers. Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson said statistics don’t tell the whole story when it comes to McDaniel’s worth to the Stampeders.

“I personally think he’s one of the top (receivers) in the league except he doesn’t get the love numbers wise,” said Dickenson. “There’s got to be more to a receiver than numbers.

“I think he does a nice job for us. He makes all our big catches we need. He’s very gritty. He blocks, protects the quarterback. He’s maybe not as flashy as some guys (but) you watch him week in and week out, he does a lot for us.”

The win improved the Stampeders to 6-1-1 and gave them a three-point edge over B.C. for first place in the CFL West. Calgary faces the Hamilton Tigers Cats (4-4) Sunday at McMahon Stadium.

At 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds McDaniel doesn’t have the size of Edmonton’s Derel Walker or BC’s Emmanuel Arceneaux, nor the blinding speed of Ottawa’s Chris Williams.

“On second down (Bo) knows I’m going to be where I need to be. If it’s man-on-man, he knows I’m going to get open and get that first down.”

– Stampeders SB Marquay McDaniel

What McDaniel does is run his routes to perfection, find open spaces, and gain yards after the catch. So far this year 22 of his catches have come on second down. He also has 260 yards after a catch.

“I think my mental game has a lot to do with it,” said McDaniel. “I know the game very well. I know what defences are going to try to do, I know the holes I can get in.

“Based on our offence, I know where I am supposed to be and how to get there.”

There’s also the trust he’s built with the head coach and quarterback.

“Dave knows if we need a play to be made, he knows I want to make that play and I can make it,” said McDaniel. “Bo knows I am going to be where I am supposed to be.

“Once you have that trust, it makes the timing a lot better. The faster I can get the ball, the more I can do with it after. Me and (Bo) being on the same page helps a lot with that. On second down he knows I’m going to be where I need to be. If it’s man-on-man, he knows I’m going to get open and get that first down.”

The foundation of the relationship between McDaniel and Mitchell was laid when Mitchell was still a third-string quarterback in Calgary. The veteran receiver sat beside him at meetings and passed on advice during practices.

“He was big in my development at a young age,” said Mitchell. “He was the guy you could talk to. He would teach you a lot of things, understand what he is seeing out there.

“The way I describe Marquay . . . he’s a quarterback that plays receiver. He always knows his zones, where to sit in, he kills guys in (man-to-man). He’s not afraid to block, not afraid to lay his body out there for his team. That’s what it t to be a great receiver.”

Is Marquay McDaniel the most underrated player in the CFL? His peers weigh in on the video below:

Something McDaniel prides himself on is his ability break tackles. It’s a skill that comes with experience.

“It’s just a natural reaction,” he said. “Once you catch the ball you see how they (the tackler) sets up.

“You might want to tip him in and out. You kind of go off what he’s trying to do. There is no science to it, it’s just reaction. Once you catch it, you turn up as fast as you can. After that your instincts take over.”

McDaniel leads by example on the Stampeders. He strives to be a professional on and off the field. His leadership was born in a lesson he learned early in his career.

McDaniel broke into the CFL in 2009 with Hamilton. He was the Tiger-Cats nominee for outstanding rookie after leading the league with 2,535 all-purpose yards, including 57 catches for 688 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2010 McDaniel had 76 catches for 998 yards and seven touchdowns.

A promising career looked to be derailed in 2011. He showed up to training camp to find his place on the roster taken. He played in just one game that year, making four catches for 60 yards. He was released in August and signed by Calgary.

McDaniel said the experience was a wakeup call about how what happens off the field can affect your play.

“I was a young guy, just out too much,” he said. “I wasn’t focused as I am now as far as football is a priority. I was doing too much outside of football and I think that affected me on the field.”

He’s grateful the Stampeders gave him a second chance.

“I knew I was going to make the most of it,” he said. “It was a humbling experience going from starting to the practice squad. I just knew if I got back to what I knew it would get me back on the field.

“The good thing is I did get a second opportunity. I look back on it as a learning experience.  I definitely can teach young guys what not to do.”