Interview: Jerome Messam
Jerome Messam is one of the top running backs in the CFL but even more importantly, he is one of the most humble and down-to-earth players in the league. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have not had a great season and even though the playoffs are far out of their reach after last week’s loss to the BC Lions, Messam has not lost hope. “We have to stay positive. We know that the team we have on paper is the best in the CFL. That being said, we had a lot of injuries and we’ve had to have a lot of young guys step up. They’ve had to play a bigger role than they were expected to and that’s been a factor in our record.”
Messam is vying with the BC Lions’ Andrew Harris in terms of rushing yards this season and I wanted to know how the Saskatchewan player rated himself. “I’m pretty hard on myself, I’m very critical of my game and I still think there’s room for improvement. I’m beginning to master my craft as a running back. Running comes naturally but it’s all the other things beside that like recognizing defences, pass protection and catching the ball well out of the back field. If I had to give myself a rating out of 10, I’d give myself a 9.5,” he smiles.
Messam says there are a lot of guys who talk trash on the field but the worst one? “I gotta give it to Kyries Hebert from Montreal. Ky talks a lot of trash but he backs it up so he can do that. There’s a couple of other guys but he stands out the most. Juwan Simpson talks some trash too,” Messam laughs. Being a great running back doesn’t come easily and there’s a lot of preparation to be done. “Usually I try to get a good pre-game meal in, try to load up on my carbs. After that I go over my plays. I find a good playlist, I usually have one set up from the night before of things I want to listen to. I just put my headphones on, lock in and get ready to go out there and play.”
There’s no doubt that Messam has had an incredible season and an incredible career and his most memorable moment can only be one thing. “Being able to walk across that stage in 2011 and be the ‘Most Outstanding Canadian’. It was a great time and hopefully I get to do it again this year.” The Saskatchewan fans are amongst the most loyal in the league, even when their team is down and Messam has a message for them. “We appreciate all their support, they’ve stuck with us through a tough season and we’re doing our best to put a good product out there on the field for them. We just hope they can continue to keep supporting us. Go Rider Nation!”
The Roughriders face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in tonight’s must-win game. They need to win their remaining 4 games and hope other results in the CFL go their way if they have any chance of making it to the playoffs. Do they still have a chance? Yes and even though it might be slim, ask any Saskatchewan fan and they’ll tell you, a chance is a chance. Never lose hope.
