Courtesy Calgary Herald:

It was the toughest two months of Burke Dales’ football career, but it also may prove to be the most beneficial two months as well.

A day after officially winning the Calgary Stampeders punting position with Monday’s trade that sent Duncan O’Mahony to Edmonton for a conditional draft pick, the 31-year-old Dales is finally able to put last season’s frustrations — being benched for seven weeks mid-season in favour of O’Mahony — behind him.

“It feels great,” admitted Dales, who’ll be unopposed when the Stamps open training camp on Sunday at McMahon Stadium. “Last season was very frustrating for me, being put on the bench and everything. But in hindsight, I’m actually glad that everything unravelled the way it did. I think it weathered me, it made me stronger both physically and mentally because it forced me to work harder. As cliched as it sounds, if you put that hard work in, there’s going to be a payback.”

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