Anyone who has ever seen a determined Nik Lewis execute a block or take on a would-be tackler won’t be surprised that to hear the veteran slotback is not taking it for granted that his 2013 season is over.

“I always leave the door open,” Lewis told the media at McMahon Stadium on Sunday morning. “You never know what can happen. I’ve healed pretty quick in the past.”

On the other hand, if the rehab from a broken leg and ankle tendon damage suffered on Aug. 17 at BC Place takes Lewis beyond the end of the current season, he’s ready to make the best of things.

“Just enjoy the time I have to still hang around the guys and just help them and be part of a winning football team,” he said. “I’m just going to deal with it with a positive attitude and I’m in a great position to help a lot of our young guys out and I’m going to use the time now to meet with Pete (Costanza) and Dave (Dickenson) and those guys and try to see if I can help out any way on the offence and just relay it to the younger guys.”

In addition to some unofficial coaching, Lewis plans to do some serious cheerleading. After watching his teammates win in Toronto on Friday, he tweeted a photo of himself giving his teammates a standing ovation.

“It’s great,” he said. “I’m a fan of these guys. I have fun tweeting during the game and I can’t say I was really jumping up and down but I did put myself at risk — I need go into like a white padded room.

“You know, seeing Anthony Parker take a ball and getting the YAC yards and Jabari (Arthur) making tough catches and things like that, just watching the guys go out and put together a great performance, I’m very happy.”

At age 31, and with a decade of hardnosed football under his belt, some may wonder if Lewis will be able recapture his all-star form.

“Well, it’s up to him,” said head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “I mean, he has to do the hard work. It’s going to be hard work that he needs to do in the off-season but he’s a very driven player, the game is very important to him, so I believe he’ll do the necessary things to get him back on the field.”

“Yeah, it’s always hard work,” said Lewis. “Every year I go home in the off-season and I always put in hard work and that’s what I do to prepare myself for the season. I’ll continue to do that and, like I said, I’m a bad sport — if I can’t play the way I’ve always played, I won’t play. So I will be back playing the same way I’ve always played.”

In the meantime, the Stamps will soldier on without No. 82.

“I tell you, man, we plug and play,” he said. “You know, we have a great coaching staff that puts people in positions to make plays and we plug and play.

“We all believe in each other and I think that’s the best thing. Once we go into the room together and we all believe in each other, we never really have to worry about who’s going to play — we just have to worry about executing. Once we execute, we win games.”