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May 22, 2018

Stanzi Comfortable in Calgary

Quarterback Ricky Stanzi during 2017 rookie camp (Photo by Rob McMorris)

Ricky Stanzi sounds as if he’s starting to settle in quite nicely.

“Oh, I really enjoyed Stampede last year,’’ confessed the Painesville, Ohio, product, set to inherit the Stampeders’ back-up quarterbacking post from the now-retired Andrew Buckley.

“That was all new to me.

“When I first told my family I was signing in Calgary, my mother-in-law, I think it was, had a friend who was saying: ‘Ohhhhhh, Stampede.’

“And I was kinda like: ‘Yeah?’

“Well, it was … a blast.

“I went to the chuckwagon races with Spencer (Wilson) at the end of it all. I never even knew such a thing existed.

“That was amazing.

“And I definitely enjoyed the food-truck area.”

Did the western-themed buy-in extend to wardrobe?

“Uh, sorry. No hat, no boots. Not really a cowboy-boot kinda guy.

“But I tried to be as festive as I could.

“Just getting acquainted with the city means a lot. I’ve got a family, two kids, we’re living out in Killarney, next to the Aquatic Centre. Some nice parks. The Children’s Museum. The Science Centre.

“We enjoyed getting around and exploring. It definitely feels more comfortable now.”

On the field, too, heading into his second season in this crazy three-down game of ours, Stanzi’s infinitely more at home-away-from-home.

“Obviously, there was an adjustment period involved. Twelfth guy. Motion. Size of the field.

“A lot of little things that do add up when you throw in a new offence, a new city, too.

“This year, I feel much better. Knowing the playbook. Knowing the guys. Knowing how we work things here.

“Last year was a great learning for me. A ton. Bo (Levi Mitchell) was great helping me out. The whole quarterback room was great.

“Hopefully, I can take everything I did learn and apply it this year.”

The stat line from his rookie campaign – eight attempts, four completions, 53 yards, two picks – was certainly modest enough fare. But Stamps’ QB coach Ryan Dinwiddie is confident everything is in place to excel here.

“Ricky,’’ he says, “is an intelligent athlete. When he makes a mistake on something, he usually doesn’t make it again. Spends a lot of time watching film. We checked the iPad this year and he watched so many hours this off-season, which helps me sleep better at night.

“I’m sure his mindset’s no different than it was a year ago. He came into last camp with the intention of being the back-up then, too, but obviously Buck took that job and ran with it a little bit.

“He’s a competitive guy but no question the urgency’s different. He’s got to come in and win football games for us when asked this year.

“Baby steps, right? First year, for most guys, isn’t usually more than a No. 3, learn-as-you-go job. Now the pressure’s on for him to take that next step.”

The uber-prolific Mitchell, of course, is a workhorse who plays a lot. Which makes even the No.-2 job more of a wait-and-see exercise.

“Obviously it’s Bo’s team,’’ acknowledges Dinwiddie, “but any quarterback, if you don’t want to play, if you’re not dying to get out there, there’s something very wrong with you.

“You’re here for a reason – you love to play, you want to be out on the field, itching to help in any way you possibly can, otherwise you’d be doing something else.

“Ricky understands there are things to work on, like getting the ball out of his hands a little bit quicker. But as far as seeing the field, going to the right guy, he’s usually right there.”

For Stanzi, a bump up to No. 2 is a promotion. Being the back-up to a franchise QB such as Mitchell still usually makes you the best-case option in a worst-case scenario.

“I’m not too worried about who’s where or what the pecking order might or might not be right now,’’ he insists. “Bo’s a fantastic quarterback. I just want to help out this team wherever possible.

“Sure you want to get out there and show what you can do. We’re football players. We’re all wired that way.

“But this is camp. This is the time to get back into sync with the receivers, with the O-line, the cadences, play-calling, a lot of the simple stuff.

“I want to take the next step this year, to progress, obviously. I’m here to compete, to get better, to show the coaches I can handle the workload and handle the playbook if I need to go in.

“And I said, feeling more comfortable now, with everything, certainly helps in making that happen.”