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D.J. Flick holds out his hands, palms up.

They are the hands of a professional receiver, a man who earns his money catching footballs. They are the hands that have ripped apart the Calgary Stampeders, yard by yard, and could do so again in Sunday's West Division semi-final.

They are sure hands, steady as a diamond cutter's. Only Flick isn't talking about football or the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offence, he is talking about his two boys, Julius and Lincoln, who are resting in the intensive care unit of a Pennsylvania hospital.

"I've only held one, then I had to leave and drive up to Hamilton for the game," he said of his prematurely-born sons. "When they came out, they only weighed 2 pounds 4 ounces. They were 12 inches long … I could almost hold them in the palm of my hand."

These are trying, happy days for Flick, who was selected to the CFL West all-star team. His wife, Mandy, is recovering nicely from her emergency caesarian section; the boys are stable and "growing day by day."

As for his in-laws, they're doing well, too. Six of them were in a Ford Expedition in Massachusetts last month, when they collided with a semi-trailer. The accident crushed the sport-utility vehicle, flipped it and injured everyone aboard, including one passenger who suffered a broken neck.

When news of the crash reached Flick, he left the 'Riders to be with his wife's family. He returned in time to play against the Stampeders in Calgary. All he did that afternoon was catch six passes for 157 yards.

Days later, Flick was sitting in a team meeting when he was told there was a phone call for him. It was Flick's sister-in-law, saying Mandy had collapsed and been rushed to a hospital.

"The two boys, their hearts had stopped," Flick said, noting his wife was due to deliver in December. "They did an emergency C-section … You just wonder what's going to happen next."

Once again, Flick rushed back to rejoin his teammates, this time for their game in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats. On that day, he caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.

"The football team let me go so I could take care of my family," Flick said. "Once they were okay, I came back here for this family."

Flick has become the go-to player in the Saskatchewan go-deep passing game. He finished as the team's leading receiver (70 catches, 1,020 yards, 10 touchdowns) and had the Stampeders running in circles trying to cover him.

In three games against Calgary, Flick was able to shake free and average six catches and 115 yards. If he does it again — and he could on a day that is expected to be a pleasant 7 C with no rain — the Stampeders are likely to lose in the first round of the playoffs yet again.

"It was [head coach] Kent [Austin] who decided to move D.J. inside [to slotback]," said 'Riders general manager Eric Tillman, who first signed Flick in 2002 to play wide receiver for the Ottawa Renegades. "By moving him inside, we've done different things with formations and by maximizing our waggling [receivers running to the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped] to get him the ball downfield.

"The other thing," added Tillman, "is that [Flick] is an exceptionally bright guy. With all the nuances in our offence, he's able to play off defensive backs or alter his routes to get open. The system gives him greater freedom."

Despite the recent family hardships, Flick has stayed upbeat. He said his sister-in-law, who suffered the broken neck, is destined to make a full recovery. The only sign of the accident is the neck brace she wears. Flick considers that good luck, not bad.

"I try to look at the positives more than the negatives. That's the type of person I am," he said. "I think that's what helped get me through everything."

With that in mind, Flick is convinced this has actually been a "spectacular" year, one that isn't over yet. He and the 'Riders may have practised indoors yesterday, but all he could see for tomorrow and beyond was blue skies for a city and a team pining for playoff success.

"When we win the Grey Cup, it'll be the ultimate," he said.

Actually, the ultimate would be winning the Grey Cup then heading home to be with his wife and sons. He can't wait to hold them, both of them.

"I sure don't want to fumble," he said with a laugh.

With his hands, that shouldn't be a problem.