In 2016, DaVaris Daniels was able to fly under the radar on his way to winning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award.

In 2017, all eyes will be on the 24-year-old receiver from Vernon Hills, Ill., to see what he can do for an encore. And that’s just fine with Daniels.

“My goal for this season is to keep doing what I did last season,” says Daniels, who made 51 catches for 885 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games as a rookie. “There’s a lot more pressure that I’ve put on myself just because I know what I’m going into and I want to fulfill everything that I’ve set out to do.

“It’s exciting to have that pressure,” he insists. “It’s a good type of pressure. It’s not anything I’m going to run away from. It’s exactly what I wanted. I’d rather have that pressure than to be sitting at home not knowing what I’m going to do with my life.”

DaVaris Daniels during 2016 Grey Cup week (Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj)

A year ago, Daniels says he was struggling mightily to hold on to a shred of confidence in his talent. A promising collegiate career at Notre Dame was cut short by a suspension because of academic issues prior to the 2014 season and a tour of NFL camps in Minnesota, New England and Philadelphia had failed to land him a job.

“I had this cloud over my head and I was thinking that people had just given up on me,” he admits. “It was tough, and I know it was tough on my family. They were always behind me but you don’t know if their belief in you is real or if they’re just trying to be encouraging.

“All your confidence has to come from within. It was tough to see that I was doing so well at Notre Dame and then, all of a sudden, it got taken away. And then everything after was just (the lack of NFL opportunities). It was so hard to grasp that maybe I wasn’t a good player. It was definitely a shock to my psyche.

“Once I got to Calgary,” he says, “I felt it was my last shot so I figured I would lay it all on the line from the beginning.”

Things worked out in the end, but Daniels was hardly an overnight sensation.

At Stamps training camp, he was just one of many American receivers looking to make his mark, competing against fellow relative unknowns as Jamal Nixon, Josh Harper and Chleb Ravenell.

Daniels landed a practice-roster spot but it wasn’t until Week 9 that he saw his first action. He quickly made an impression, blocking a punt and making four catches in his CFL debut and hauling in five passes for 108 yards including a 76-yard score in his second outing.

Receivers Kamar Jorden and DaVaris Daniels celebrate a touchdown during the 2016 Western Final (Photo by David Moll)

However, the catalyst for his restored confidence came before he ever saw the field as a member of the Red and White. They key moment involved another team trying to claim him off the Stamps’ practice squad with the intention of activating him.

After talking the matter over with receivers coach Pete Costanza, head coach Dave Dickenson and general manager John Hufnagel, Daniels chose to stay in Calgary.

“Even after making the team, at that point I thought maybe I was still just a body. I was happy I made the team, but I really didn’t have too much confidence. To have (Costanza, Dickenson and Hufnagel) reach out to me after that, it was like, ‘Obviously they must see something in me and they keep telling me I’m going to play at some point. So obviously I’m doing something right.’

“Then it was just building on from that. Once I got in the game, and then the blocked punt . . . Then the touchdown in the Hamilton game was when I turned the corner.”

Which is not to suggest that Daniels believes his work is done.

“I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder,” he declares. “I want to go out there and fulfill everything expected out of me by the Stampeders and also the fans and my family . . . and even myself. I want to do everything right.”

Bo Levi Mitchell and DaVaris Daniels talk during the 2016 Western Final (Photo by David Moll)

Daniels’ focus on his sophomore season has been aided by spending the off-season in Philadelphia, where his father works as a member of the NFL Eagles’ coaching staff, as opposed to his native Illinois.

“I don’t really know anybody,” he explains, “so it’s been pretty good just to be around the family and just hang out with them and have that solely and not have to worry about anything else but getting better at football.”

In addition to the absence of distractions, being in Philly has allowed him to get guidance from his father, who had a 15-year playing career in the NFL. The elder Daniels was a defensive lineman, so he’s not much help when it comes to assisting his son with route-running or other subtleties of the receiving position, but he provides invaluable counsel in other areas.

“He just teaches me how to be a professional and how to go about my work and my business,” says Daniels. “This off-season, he’s been there for me and helping me get my body stronger. I’m going into the season wanting to play all 18 games, so I’ve got to get my body and my strength all the way to where they need to be to endure that kind of season.”

The mental part of his game is already miles ahead of where it stood 12 months ago.

“This year,” he says, “it’s a lot different because I actually know what I’m stepping into. To know my role on the team and to know that I have a spot to go to . . . I want to take advantage of it and put the work in that I need to.

“This is exciting. I can’t wait to get back. It’s been a long time since I’ve known I was going to be a part of something. It’s exciting to come back to some familiarity and just be one of the guys. I want to come back and build off of what I did last year, to keep building with Bo (Levi Mitchell) and see where that takes us.”