By Geoff Crane
Stampeders.com

You usually only get one chance to make a first impression and this year, the Calgary Stampeders are looking to make a big one.

After winning the 102nd Grey Cup last November, the last seven months have been spent, not reveling, but preparing to defend that title. Their first test of the 2015 regular season will come up against last year’s runners-up, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“Last year was last year,” says long-time Stampeder Juwan Simpson. “We won last year, but it’s a new season and they’ll have a chip on their shoulders.

“We still feel we’re the best team happening right now and we have to go out and prove it.”

That chip Simpson is referring to is a would-be game winning punt return by Hamilton’s Brandon Banks that was called back due to an illegal block penalty on the return. Friday’s season-opener for both teams will provide the chance for Hamilton to exact revenge but also for Calgary to prove that last year’s Grey Cup win was the real deal.

“We want to come out and show these guys that (the Grey Cup) wasn’t given to us, we went out and took it,” says the Stampeder’s top pivot Bo Levi Mitchell. “I felt like we were on top of the league the entire year and I believe we proved that at the end of the year. It’s a new season for us and we need to make sure we come out, find our identity and show these guys who we’re going to be.”

Mitchell himself is also looking to make an early first impression in his sophomore season as the starting QB for the Red and White. Last season, Mitchell etched his name into CFL lore with gaudy numbers as a rookie starter.

The Katy, Tex., native became the first quarterback in CFL history to win 12 of his first 13 starts and holds an overall career record of 15-2 in the regular season as a starter.

Additionally, Mitchell completed 63.3 per cent of his passes for 3,389 yards and 22 touchdowns and a sparkling 98.3 QB rating, tops in the league. Combine that with winning the Grey Cup MVP award and it’s hard to imagine how he may top last season’s success.

After being asked whether he’s worried of the age-old sports myth of a sophomore slump, Mitchell was quick to mention how important it is for him personally to start off the season on the right foot.

“I need to always be a facilitator,” says Mitchell. “As the point guard of our offence, I just have to make sure I get passes to guys and get everyone lined up in the right spot and do everything I can to make sure we win these games.”

Mitchell is confident he and his squad will set the right tone for the season beginning in Game 1, noting that much of last year’s championship squad returned to Calgary and the new additions to the roster will only help the team reach new heights.

One of those new additions, shifty return specialist Tim Brown, is looking to make the right first impression on his new team and show he can contribute in a meaningful way both on the field and in the locker room.

“My father always taught me that life is about building long-lasting relationships,” says Brown. “That’s one of my goals here — not just to make the team and play ball, but to make friends with people – people I can talk to later on in life. So I want them to know who I am and know that I’m a sincere person.”

The former Lion was picked up during training camp to help solidify the Stampeders’ return game.

A four-year CFL veteran, Brown is excited to become a part of a team with a well-known reputation for winning. He knows how important it will be for him to hit the ground running, literally.

“It’s huge, it’s the only way to keep a job really,” says Brown. “Having played for four years in BC, I tried my best out there and, unfortunately, you can be doing well and be gone the next day.

“The biggest thing is that it’s an audition every game — for your team and others.”

Simpson, who earlier this week was voted by his teammates to be one of the team captains, is confident the new faces on the Stampeders squad will have no trouble fitting in.

“When you have most of the guys returning, when you already have that team chemistry, it’s easy for new guys to fall in line,” he says. “Guys know about us when they come in. They know you’re the cream of the crop and you’ve got to be ready.”

And this Friday, they will have to be ready as they renew acquaintances with a hungry Hamilton team looking to knock some luster off the Stamps championship rings.

“It’s very important to us to make sure we come out smacking guys,” says Mitchell. “We need to make sure we set the tone and come out on top for the first game of the season.”