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Whyte sounds ready, which can only mean he put in the right amount of work during the off-season in Vancouver. In this particular case, having to convert himself into a three-phase guy again, the training was tactically different from that of the recent past. He needed to build some flexibility into his kicking leg for the punting game.

He played hockey four times a week and trained at a gym five times a week. He mixed in tennis and golf, too. He didn’t add any bulk to his five-foot-nine, 175-pound frame, but he feels stronger and more athletic than he did just last season.

“I had to get back to the old me when I was doing all three with B.C. and Montreal. Just get my athleticism back. More range of motion in my leg for the punting part of things. With field goals, you don’t have to be as flexible.

“So I focused a lot on my punting this year. I want to be consistent. I know a lot of people think I’m a small guy and I don’t have the power to do it, but I know I can do it and I’ve been successful at it.

“This is the strongest I’ve been in my whole career.”

He’s looking forward to being more involved in every game this year. Shaw booted 103 punts and 83 kickoffs through the regular season last year, while Whyte attempted 48 field goals and 53 converts. That’s about 14 touches per game for a one-man show.

“I do want to be more a part of it and contribute more to the team. The guys respect me more for it,” Whyte said with a smile. “They treat me more like an athlete instead of a kicker.”

They already know he’s money as a field-goal kicker. He’ll have to clean up his act on converts — he missed six last year — and will still have to earn their trust as a punter.

“I’m the guy,” said Whyte. “They said I am. But I also know how quick they can bring a guy in here and take my spot.”

Faster than ever before. Kickers are like Uber drivers now.

E-mail: dbarnes@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @jrnlbarnes