He’s a man on a mission.

Stampeders defensive back Patrick Levels has had his eyes set on cracking the starting lineup since joining the club last season.

And now, he’s got his shot.

“I wanted to come in, play my role and put my best foot forward,” he said. “I wanted to show everyone that there wasn’t going to be a drop-off because of the departures we had.”

“I want to be the guy that people need to worry about when I’m out there and be a spark for the team.”

The 23-year-old certainly got off on the right foot, with the performance he had against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats during the Stamps 28-14 victory Saturday night at McMahon Stadium.

Levels was sharp all night, not giving receivers room to make plays and ended the night with five defensive tackles and three passes defended.

It was a statement for both the team and Levels.

“It was a great feeling to come out with that first win in the first game,” he said. “Personal stats are good but getting the win as a team is the biggest thing.

“It felt good to get that first breakdown of the season and get that foundation built and definitely was happy with how I performed.”

Headed into training camp this season was a different experience prior to his rookie year when he signed with the Stamps the first day of main training camp and after rookie camp had already ended.

Despite the shortened camp, Levels was able to earn a spot on the roster and now feels more at ease in his second year in the CFL.

“It was a smoother transition this year knowing that I just had to come in here and do my job and not go outside of the box,” he said. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride for sure to get to this point, but through it all I had faith in God to help, he’s never failed me.

“I’ve never given up and I keep pushing. Things seem to be looking up for me thanks to all the work put in.”

With the Stamps gearing up for a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup Final, Levels and the defence are aiming for another strong showing.

“It all starts on the practice field and the film sessions that help translate over on game days,” he said. “When you step out on the field it’s all about being confident because that’s the nature of being a defensive player.

“You have to walk out there and be prepared for those big plays so when they come it’s not a surprise rather, but rather a feeling of ‘I worked hard to get make that big play happen.’”