He stands in the shimmer of greatness, just on the outside the game’s gates of Olympus, awaiting official entry.

But unless his gridiron brothers are there walking through those gates beside him, arms locked together in the celebration of achievement, all the golden, gilded, gossamer personal trimmings imaginable will seem meaningless.

“Receptions. Yards. Touchdowns. They’re all great, don’t get me wrong,’’ DaVaris Daniels is saying on a Travel Alberta-lovely Wednesday morning out at McMahon Stadium.

“Would I like to lead the league in those categories I just mentioned? Sure. Who wouldn’t?

“But most of all, I want be someone who can be relied on. I want to be someone who can make the big play when my number’s called and who everyone knows is coming down with the ball when it’s in the air and headed my way.

“I want to … win. Whatever that means. Whatever that takes. I build my mind around team success. I don’t get pre-occupied with numbers.

“Numbers fade.

“My focus is on Grey Cups, on championships. People remember Grey Cups. Championships never fade.”

A superb freshman campaign two summers back – 51 snares for 885 yards and nine TDs – netted Daniels the CFL’s coveted Rookie of the Year hardware. Injuries slowed what seemed to be an express elevator hurtling towards the penthouse last year, although he still finished with 47 catches for 743 yards and four TDs.

Still, the past two late Novembers have left a large hole in his very considerable achievements.

Now, back with a new contract, in tip-top shape and with Bo Levi Mitchell tossing him the ball, many expect Daniels to blossom into someone pushing for the top of the pass-catching ladder.

“I know the best thing I can to for the Calgary Stampeders,’’ he says, “is be the best me I can be.

“When you try to be somebody else, that’s when things go wrong.”

Comparisons, naturally, are a large, amusing, distracting part of sports.

“DaVaris,’’ gently lectures Stamps’ receivers coach Pete Costanza, “just has to be DaVaris. I wouldn’t want any of my guys comparing their games to anybody else’s.

“Be yourself.

“With DaVaris, great rookie year, a few injuries last season, has had a good camp. Fantastic talent.

“Usually in the second or third year guys – the good ones, anyway – seem to make that noticeable leap. DaVaris kind of got held back in that last year. So I expect him to grow his game this season, do those incredible things we saw two years ago, and more.

“So we don’t want him to be Manny. Or S.J. Or whoever.

“Just be DaVaris. That’s pretty darned good in itself.”

Once again, the Stampeders head into a season armed to the teeth with an abundance of riches at the receiver position. Daniels. Kamar Jorden. Marken Michel. Reggie Begelton. Juwan Brescacin. Lemar Durant. Anthony Parker.

And, it seems, a return of the 2015 CFL pass-catching yardage champ, Eric Rogers is a possibility.

“It’s tough sometimes when you have so many guys to spread the ball around to,” says quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. “DaVaris hasn’t had the chance to really be the focal point of the entire offence, like a lot of other receivers in other places. But that’s the way we do things around here.

“Check the targets, man, and I spread the ball pretty evenly across the board. That gets everyone involved. That works for our offence.

“DaVaris at 100 percent is just flat-out scary. He’s obviously got the chance to do something special, be someone special.”

If the catches and yardage and touchdowns contribute to, come in conjunction with, ultimate success, bring ’em on. But only if.

To tweak the title of a Duke Ellington jazz standard a jot: It Don’t Mean A Thing If You Ain’t Got That Ring.

“The only opinions that matter,’’ says Daniels, “are those of your coaches and the guys around you.

“I put a lot of work into my craft to be that guy. But I just want to help my team win. Bottom line.

“To be there and fall short … that’s a terrible thing to taste. And to have to taste it again last year was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had.

“If it comes with a lot of catches, fine. If it comes with a lot of touchdowns, so be it.

“If it comes without  ’em, well, that’d be fine, too.”