CALGARY — This training camp marks a particular milestone for Charleston Hughes: his 10th season as a Calgary Stampeder.

Although, for one of the CFL’s premiere pass rushers, one of the best at shedding offensive linemen, the thought of shedding the galloping horse from his shoulder had never really occurred.

“I don’t know if I could imagine myself with a different coloured jersey on,” said Hughes. “It might have been weird, considering Calgary is the only team I’ve ever played for.”

Despite his age, the 33-year-old would have fetched top dollar on the open market had he waited until February. His 16 sacks in 2016 were the second-highest of his career, while the defensive end position was a glaring weak spot in the league heading into an otherwise stout free agent crop.

But Hughes saw more value in a good situation in Calgary. The CFL sack leader in 2016 was quick to point out that John Hufnagel and Dave Dickenson and co. have built a program that consistently wins.

With the Stamps, Hughes has earned five division all-star nods, three CFL All-Star honours and two Grey Cup Championships.

“When you’re a player that’s a part of a winning program like that, where I feel like I’m part of the reason why we’re winning like that — obviously I’m doing something right for the team to want me to come back and for me to play my whole entire career there,” he said.

Hughes, who has 88 sacks over 133 games next to his name, is not only talented but remarkably consistent, reaching double-digit sacks in four of the last five years (in 2014 he recorded eight sacks in 11 games).

He’s 15th on the all-time sack list and second among active players (Alouettes defensive end John Bowman is eighth all-time with 112 sacks).

“I think other teams should be scared. We’re going to come back and we’re going to be a better team and we’re not going to make the same mistakes twice.” Stamps defensive end Charleston Hughes

Adding to that, the Stampeders were also able to re-sign Micah Johnson and Cordarro Law. Law returned from the NFL after two years away, recording three sacks in four games in 2016, while Johnson has earned a reputation as one of the league’s most imposing interior defensive linemen.

Last year, no team sacked quarterbacks more than the Stampeders with 52.

“We always keep that core set of guys around,” said Stamps defensive coordinator DeVone Claybrooks. “If you can keep a core set of guys that you know are always going to be good, always going to perform and always going to perform at a high level then that’s half the battle.”

Averaging 12.6 sacks a season over the last five years, Hughes has a reasonable shot at approaching the top 10 all-time sack leaders (Will Johnson, with 99, is 11 sacks away), although he’d need 17 quarterback takedowns to tie Rodney Harding (105 career sacks) for 10th.

For Hughes, however, winning trumps all. And six months after a devastating Grey Cup, 2017 will be about redemption.

“To make it that far and make it deep and barely lose a game,” said Hughes, “it’s hard. To have a winning season like that and to lose in the championship, it’s bittersweet and it hurts. But at the same time you have to find a way to learn upon the mistakes that were made in that game and come back even better.

“I think other teams should be scared,” he added. “We’re going to come back and we’re going to be a better team and we’re not going to make the same mistakes twice. We’re gunning for nothing but a championship.”

And there’s nowhere the defensive end would rather win his third Grey Cup ring than Calgary.

In the era of free agency, where players switch allegiances often, Hughes has a chance to accomplish something rare.

“You don’t find too many players that play their whole entire career in once place,” said Hughes. “I think it’ll be nice to actually play in Calgary throughout my whole entire career — play for one team like that because that’s where I’ve always been and that’s where my heart lies.

“I love the coaching staff, I like the facility. I just like being there.”