Of all the qualities that make Ricky Ray one of the best quarterbacks the CFL has ever seen, the most under-rated is his toughness, the one trait that gets overlooked each time he throws for more than 300 yards or leads a team on a late-game touchdown drive.

Toughness in football is defined, from a physical perspective, by ferocity, intimidation, by being hard-nosed, overcoming an injury, persevering through some discomfort.

At the quarterback position, those who initiate contact when scrambling out of the backfield are often labelled as tough.

In the case of Ray, it’s how he stands in the pocket so late before he attempts a throw, how he’s able to bounce back when some unblocked defender delivers a blow.

Edmonton’s Mike Reilly is the one quarterback people refer to when the word toughness and quarterback are mentioned, but Ray is no slouch.

The one difference is how Reilly can use his legs when flushed and make plays when he’s out of the pocket.

Ray is a pure pocket passer who rarely leaves the pocket.

But anyone who watched last Saturday night’s thrilling overtime win in Hamilton can attest to Ray’s toughness and courage.

The Ticats are on life support, but their front seven is aggressive, active and hard hitting.

Ray was a target all night, getting punished but somehow able to stand back in the pocket and deliver.

When the Argos mounted their fourth-quarter comeback from a 14-point deficit, it was Ray who led the way.

“He took some vicious hits he shouldn’t have taken, he took some that he had to take to be able to make the play. He did both,’’ said head coach Marc Trestman on Monday after reviewing the game film.

In the immediate aftermath of Toronto’s third win in a row, Trestman, who has worked with some of the accomplished quarterbacks on either side of the border, said he had never seen a quarterback show as much toughness and courage as Ray did in the Hammer.

“He played an outstanding football game overall.”

At 7-7 and seemingly on their way to capturing first in the East, the Argos are in an enviable position with four games remaining, all against the West beginning this Saturday afternoon when Saskatchewan visits BMO Field.

During his hall of fame career, Ray, a three-time Grey Cup champion, has never been voted as the league’s Most Outstanding Player.

When he finally was voted as a finalist in 2014, Ray lost out to a linebacker, B.C.’s Solomon Elimimian, once again underscoring how little media in this country know about football.

No one knows how many years Ray wants to play, and perhaps this could be his final season before he gets into coaching, but there’s no denying his toughness.

A year ago on the same Tim Hortons Field, Ray suffered a collapsed lung.

Matt Dunigan was tough, Buck Pierce, Dave Dickenson and there are others, but Ray is unique given his body type and his slender frame, more lean than solidly built.

“That’s part of football,’’ said Ray of being tough. “There are a lot of tough guys in this league and there are a lot of other quarterbacks standing in there making plays and taking hits.

“For me, that’s kind of my game. I’m not the most mobile kind of guy. Most other quarterbacks probably avoid some of those hits by getting out of the pocket. It’s just part of my game to stand in there and unfortunately take some of those (hits).”

When he woke up Sunday, Ray said he felt sore, but that’s to be expected given how physical the game became.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of guys on both sides who are sore,’’ said Ray. “I’m feeling it a little bit.”

Ray admits his focus when he drops back is on his receivers and the opposing defensive backs.

“It’s just been a part of the game for me,’’ said Ray of taking hits. “I stand in there and try to make plays. I was able to move around and a couple of plays I did extend plays.”

When the Argos needed a conversion on third and 17, Ray did extend the play by moving to his right before he hooked up with DeVier Posey.

Posey, in the end, was Ray’s go-to guy, hauling in the receiving major late in regulation and catching the OT pass.

James Wilder Jr. used his legs to complete both of the two-point converts.