The helmeted and padded students are learning their lessons well.

It was Day 2 of the Calgary Stampeders rookie camp Thursday at McMahon Stadium and head coach and general manager John Hufnagel is impressed with the way the young players are catching on.

“I think the players are getting more used to their assignments,” said Hufnagel following Friday morning’s session. “Obviously, in every meeting, there’s more and more being thrown at them but I was pleased with the way they’re picking things up.”

With the veterans reporting for duty and main camp beginning on Sunday, the rookies have to make the most of the solo time on centre stage.

“I think it’s a hard-working group,” noted Hufnagel, who is running his fourth training camp for the Red and White. “I know they’re putting in extra time, which they don’t have a lot of, to be in the (playbook) and to grasp as much as they can. They know the importance of these two days and (Saturday) which is an off day for them as far as being on the field but not an off day as far as being meetings and then doing work on their own to get ready for Sunday morning. That’s what they’re focusing on — being as good as they can be with the knowledge of the offence, defence, special teams so they can have a chance to compete against the veterans.”

Speaking of the veterans, more and more returning players are arriving in Calgary. One of them — receiver Ken-Yon Rambo — had a bit of an adventure on the way as his flight from Dallas to Calgary had to make an emergency stop in Oklahoma City after a warning light went on in the cockpit.

It turned out to be a false alarm and none of the 56 passengers or five crew members were injured.

NOTE: DB Andre Clarke suffered a high ankle sprain on Thursday and is sidelined for an undefined period of time . . . The Stamps have signed import receiver Marko Mitchell, who played two games for Edmonton in 2010.

>> Locker-Room Blog: Steven Gachette