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It takes one to know one.
And Jason Tucker didn't need to wait until Wednesday's CFL all-star announcements to know what kind of receiver Fred Stamps is.
Forced from the field to the sidelines by a season-ending neck injury last year, the player turned receivers coach saw Stamps evolve into the premier pass-grabber in the league this season.
"He struggled his first couple of years because he wanted to play," said Tucker.
"He had guys here who were in front of him, so from time to time I told him, 'Just wait. Just be patient because your time will come.' He got his time and he took advantage of it."
Potential was never a question, but this year Stamps stayed healthy and turned it into productivity.
"When I talked to him, I said, 'Now it's going to be on your shoulders. Guys are going to be looking up to you,' " said Tucker, who expects Stamps to take a leadership role next season. "He has a real solid work ethic. Fred comes to work every day.
"He's just a guy that enjoys getting better and wants to get better each day."
If Stamps has an area to improve, it's in his blocking that would help him become an all-around receiver.
"From time to time he wouldn't do it," Tucker said. "It's not important what you do when the ball is in your hands, it's what you do when the ball is not in your hands that's important to me, because I know what (he) can do when it's in (his) hands."
Becoming a coach is something Tucker said he enjoys.
"This was a great experience for me," he said. "(It was) a smooth transition being in the same place that I know to make the job even easier for me. I told this group, 'You all made my job easy.' "
