When dressing for a game, you have to be ready to step up when your number is called.

During Friday night’s contest against the Montreal Alouettes, offensive lineman Cam Thorn found himself pressed into action when Brad Erdos was sidelined.

Going from being the sixth man to playing every snap was an adjustment but the 27-year-old quickly found his form and felt more comfortable as the game progressed.

“Sometimes it’s hard,” Thorn said. “Realistically, the coach makes sure that everyone that dresses is prepared to get into the game and when you go in, you have to be ready at any moment. It was an adjustment, not a big one, but it’s something that you have to adjust to at first but then you settle in.”

Answering the bell isn’t anything new for the Midhurst, Ont., product – a similar situation occurred against the Ottawa RedBlacks earlier in the season. It can be a difficult situation but Thorn hopes his performance has left a favourable impression on the Stamps coaching crew. And he vows to again be ready the next time he’s called upon.

“I always knew that it doesn’t matter where you are in the position chart,” Thorn said. “You can play at any time because of injuries. They are unfortunate, but they do happen during the game and they’re a part of football.

“Doesn’t matter which position you play, it always takes a couple snaps to get into it, but I think I did a good job and held my own.”

The lineman is all too familiar with adjustments, even back before when he was playing college football with the Guelph Gryphons. Thorn spent the majority of his college career playing on the defensive side of the ball before making the switch over to the offensive line during his final season. He was named to the first-team Ontario all-star and second-team all-Canadian during his lone season at guard in 2013 and ever since he has been protecting his own quarterback rather than attacking the opponent’s.

Last season with the Stamps, Thorn started three games at centre and one at left guard. He vows to keep working on his craft at practice.

“Overall, I’m trying to get better each and every week,” Thorn said. “You pick a couple things a day to get better at and work on them. I’ve been in these situations before and I’m ready to step up if needed.”