Jerome Messam

Last updated
Jerome Messam
Born: (1985-04-02) April 2, 1985 (age 38)
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Career information
CFL status National
Position(s) RB
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight255 lb (116 kg)
College Graceland
Career history
As player
2010 BC Lions
2011 Edmonton Eskimos
2012 Miami Dolphins*
2012 Edmonton Eskimos
2013 Montreal Alouettes
2014–2015 Saskatchewan Roughriders
2015–2017 Calgary Stampeders
2018 Saskatchewan Roughriders
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star 2011, 2016
CFL West All-Star 2011, 2015, 2016
Awards2× CFL Most Outstanding Canadian (2011, 2016)
Career stats

Jerome Messam (born April 2, 1985) is a former professional Canadian football running back. He most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the BC Lions. After being traded to the Edmonton Eskimos, he became the seventh Canadian running back since 1955 and the first since 2000 to rush for over 1,000 yards while also winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award. [1] [2] Messam played college football for Graceland University.

Contents

College career

Following graduation from high school, Messam was deemed academically ineligible to attend an NCAA school, so he enrolled at the North Dakota State College of Science in 2005. [3] While attending school there, he played for the NDSCS Wildcats where he rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman. After falling out of favour with the team's head coach, he moved on to Graceland University in 2007 to play for the Yellowjackets of the NAIA. [4] That year, he rushed 168 times for 993 yards and 16 touchdowns. In January 2008, he declared eligible for the NFL and CFL drafts, forgoing his senior year, but Messam went undrafted. [4] Following a knee injury that caused him to sit out the 2008 season, Messam returned to the Yellowjackets in 2009 and rushed for 1,075 yards on 197 carries and also scored 12 touchdowns during his senior season.

CFL career

BC Lions

Messam signed as a free agent by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League on May 14, 2010, who held his rights after he went undrafted in the 2008 CFL Draft. [5] He played in his first game on July 10, 2010 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He scored his first two touchdowns in the same against the Toronto Argonauts on September 11, 2010. Overall, Messam played in 17 games while carrying the ball 23 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

Edmonton Eskimos

During Lions training camp, June 19, 2011, Messam was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos for a fifth round draft pick in the 2013 CFL Draft. [6] Messam became the starting running back for the Eskimos in the 2011 CFL season. He became the first non-import player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since Sean Millington in 2000. Messam was named the Outstanding Canadian in July and October and was the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian. Fans, Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and CFL head coaches selected him for the 2011 CFL All-Star team. He played in 18 games and had 195 carries for 1,057 yards and six touchdowns, 7 receptions for 248 yards and two kick returns for 27 yards.

Miami Dolphins

Messam entered the option-year of his contract in 2012 and used that opportunity to sign with the National Football League's Miami Dolphins on February 15, 2012. [7] He played in two preseason games, recording one reception for 10 yards and one rush attempt for minus-two yards. He was released by the Dolphins on August 25, 2012. [8]

Edmonton Eskimos (II)

After missing half of the 2012 CFL season while with the Miami Dolphins, Messam re-signed with the Eskimos on August 30, 2012 [9] The team had a crowded backfield which consisted of Hugh Charles and Cory Boyd, thereby reducing Messam's playing time. He returned in time for the Labour Day Classic on September 3, 2012 and recorded a modest seven carries for 32 yards. In nine games and two starts with the Eskimos, Messam only recorded 168 yards rushing and one touchdown.

Montreal Alouettes

On February 5, 2013, Messam was traded to the Montreal Alouettes for a 6th round pick in the 2013 CFL Draft. [10] He dressed in 15 games that season and started nine, following the injury to incumbent Brandon Whitaker. He was cut from the Montreal Alouettes on June 15, 2014 after the Alouettes did not want to pay him as a tailback while using him as a fullback. [11]

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On July 8, 2014, Messam reportedly signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders made the signing official on July 9, 2014. [12] Messam made his Roughrider debut on July 12, 2014 against the BC Lions and proceeded to play in 14 games during the 2014 CFL season while starting in two. He posted a career best rushing average of 5.5 yards per carry (70 attempts for 382 yards). On February 6, 2015, Messam and the Riders agreed to a contract extension. [13] Messam was the starting running back for the Roughriders for the 2015 season while sharing time with Anthony Allen. Despite the shared playing time, he managed to rush for 826 yards on 135 carries for a 6.1 yard average to go along with two touchdowns. He also recorded a career-high with 47 receptions for 464 yards and did this all in 15 games with the Roughriders.

Calgary Stampeders

On October 14, 2015, the CFL's trade deadline day, Messam was traded to the Calgary Stampeders for Tyler Crapigna and an exchange of 2016 CFL Draft picks. [14] At the time, Messam was the league's second-leading rusher, but was in the final year of his contract and the Roughriders had already been eliminated from the playoffs. Calgary's Jon Cornish was injured due to a concussion, so Messam started the final two games of the season for the Stampeders, recording 28 carries for 180 yards. Combined, he played and started in 17 games, rushing for 1,006 yards on 163 carries, marking the second time in his career that he had eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark. His 6.2-yard rushing average led all starting running backs. He also had a career-high 53 receptions for 497 yards, all of which earned him his second Western All-Star award. Cornish retired during the following off-season, paving the way for Messam to become the team's full-time starter. On the night before 2016 free agency, Messam re-signed with the Stampeders on February 9, 2016. [15]

As the new full-time starter for the Stamps Messam had a career year in 2016. For the first time in his career he played in all 18 regular season games and set career highs in carries (206), rushing yards (1,198), touchdowns (11), and receptions (54). He also won the award for Most Outstanding Canadian, for the second time in his career. [16] Messam had a strong season in 2017 as well, finishing third in rushing yards with 1,016 (trailing Andrew Harris and William Powell) on 215 carries with nine touchdowns. Messam scored two touchdowns in the 105th Grey Cup and received the Dick Suderman Trophy as the games most valuable Canadian.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (II)

Heading into 2018 free agency, the Stampeders decided to move on from Messam. Messam tested free agency and agreed to terms with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on February 13, 2018. He played in five games for the Roughriders, registering 52 carries for 205 rushing yards. He was released on July 30, 2018 following criminal charges for voyeurism from 2016. The Canadian Football League announced at the same time that the league would not file a contract if any future team attempts to sign him, ending his CFL career. [17]

Statistics

 Rushing Receiving
YearTeamGamesAttYardsAvgTDRecYardsAvgTD
2010 BC 1723924.0255711.40
2011 EDM 181951,0575.46272489.20
2012 EDM 12421684.018769.50
2013 MTL 151215654.723131710.21
2014 SSK 14703825.51813416.80
2015 SSK 151358266.12474649.90
2015 CGY 2281806.406335.50
2016 CGY 182061,1985.811544859.01
2017 CGY 172151,0164.79331835.50
2018 SSK 5522053.906254.20
CFL totals 1311,0875,6895.2342252,0229.02

Related Research Articles

John Edward Avery, Jr. is a former professional Canadian football and American football player. He last played with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, but also played with the National Football League and the XFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Pringle (gridiron football)</span> American gridiron football player (born 1967)

Michael A. Pringle is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He set or tied almost every significant league record for the position. He played college football for the Cal State Fullerton Titans, earning third-team All-American honors. He was twice signed by National Football League (NFL) teams, though he saw very limited playing time.

The 2005 CFL season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.

The 2004 CFL season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Glenn</span> American gridiron football player (born 1979)

Kevin Glenn, Jr. is a former American professional Canadian football quarterback. He was originally signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football for the Illinois State Redbirds and high school football at Detroit St. Martin de Porres. Glenn is a journeyman quarterback who is the only player to ever have had his rights held by every team in the CFL.

The 2006 CFL season is considered to be the 53rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 49th Canadian Football League season.

The 2008 CFL season was the 55th season of modern-day Canadian football, the 51st season for the Canadian Football League. It was also the first CFL season in which all of the league's regular season and post-season games, including the Grey Cup game, were aired on TSN. This meant the CFL was no longer aired on broadcast television in Canada. As of 2008, TSN was available in approximately 8.8 million of Canada's 13 million households. Montreal hosted the 96th Grey Cup at Olympic Stadium on November 23, when the championship was won by the Calgary Stampeders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Fantuz</span> Canadian football player (born 1983)

Andrew Fantuz is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver. Fantuz spent the majority of his professional career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Riders for six seasons after he was drafted by them in the first round of the 2006 CFL Draft. He then played six seasons for the Tiger-Cats. Fantuz was also signed by the Chicago Bears in 2011. He played CIS football for the Western Ontario Mustangs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyle Green</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1976)

Lyle Green is a former gridiron football fullback. He was a member of the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Chapdelaine</span>

Jacques Chapdelaine is a Canadian football coach and former professional slotback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He most recently served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. He has also served as the offensive coordinator for four other CFL teams, the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes (2016-17), and the head coach for two Canadian university football teams. He has won three Grey Cup championships as an assistant coach and one Vanier Cup as the head coach of the Laval Rouge et Or. He played collegiately for the Simon Fraser Clan as a wide receiver and played between 1983 and 1989 for four different CFL teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Getzlaf</span> Canadian professional football receiver

Chris Getzlaf is a Canadian former professional football slotback who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 2007 to 2017. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 CFL Draft, 33rd overall, by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and was later traded that season to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He has also been a member of the Edmonton Eskimos. Prior to turning pro, Getzlaf played with the junior team Prairie Thunder and the collegiate team Regina Rams in his hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Charles</span> American gridiron football player (born 1986)

Hugh Charles is a former Canadian football running back. He was originally signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2007 before signing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2008. He played college football at Colorado. He was traded to Edmonton in 2011.

Calvin McCarty is a former professional Canadian football running back who last played for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as a tailback until 2014, when he became the starting fullback for the Edmonton Eskimos. McCarty is known for being able to fill many roles at his position, with TSN sportscaster Chris Schultz noting in 2010 that he is a "multi-purpose running back who catches the ball extremely well, blocks well and runs well". He is a champion of the 103rd Grey Cup.

The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it is the 53rd Canadian Football League season. Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton hosted the 98th Grey Cup on November 28 when the Montreal Alouettes became the first team to repeat as Grey Cup Champions in 13 years, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 21–18. The league announced on its Twitter page on January 29, 2010 that the season would start on July 1, 2010. As of 2021 this is the most recent CFL regular season to start in July.

The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the Canadian Football League. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes opening the season against the visiting BC Lions on Thursday, June 30, 2011. The season was among the most notable in the modern era for the competitiveness of the teams; going into the final week, five teams were tied for first place in the league, a first in modern CFL history. It was also the first time since 1982 that all teams finished with fewer than 12 wins in the regular season. As well, for the first time since 1950, the start of the modern era, all four teams competing in the division finals were different from the four teams that had competed in the division finals the previous year. Newly renovated BC Place Stadium in Vancouver hosted the 99th Grey Cup on November 27, with the hometown Lions defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 34–23 in front of a sold-out crowd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cody Fajardo</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

Cody Michael Fajardo is an American professional football quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Saskatchewan Roughriders season</span> CFL team season

The 2013 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 56th season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders improved upon their 8–10 record from 2012 and made the playoffs for the second straight season, while hosting their first playoff game since 2010. After defeating the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders in the playoffs, the Roughriders qualified for their fourth Grey Cup appearance in seven years and first ever at their home stadium. The team defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 45-23 in the 101st Grey Cup en route to winning the franchise's fourth championship. With the added seats at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, the Roughriders led the league in attendance for the first time, with an average of 37,503 fans attending each regular season game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Stafford</span> American football player (born 1990)

Kenny Stafford is a gridiron football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In the United States, he has been a member of the Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Pittsburgh Power (AFL) and Miami Dolphins (NFL). In the CFL, Stafford has been a member of the Calgary Stampeders, Montreal Alouettes, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton Eskimos, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He is the nephew of former American football wide receiver and 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Cris Carter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Crapigna</span> Canadian gridiron football player and coach (born 1992)

Tyler Crapigna is a former professional Canadian football placekicker and is currently the kicker coach for the Carleton Ravens of U Sports. He played CIS football for the McMaster Marauders from 2010 to 2014 and kicked the game-winning field goal in double overtime of the 47th Vanier Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Harty</span> Canadian gridrion football player (born 1991)

Jake Paul Harty is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016 and with Montreal Alouettes in 2023 and he is a Vanier Cup champion as a coach after the Calgary Dinos won the 55th Vanier Cup in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "Edmonton stifles Riders comeback bid for win – CFL.ca". 4 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Jerome Messam named CFL's Top Canadian".
  3. ↑ "Messam: Defying the odds".
  4. 1 2 "College star Messam to enter CFL, NFL drafts".
  5. ↑ "BC Lions :: Official Site of the BC Lions". 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ↑ "Esks continue to deal during pre-season – CFL.ca". 19 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Dolphins sign Jerome Messam".
  8. ↑ "Miami Dolphins cut Canadian running back Jerome Messam" – via The Globe and Mail.
  9. ↑ "Jerome Messam rejoins Esks – Edmonton Eskimos". 30 August 2012.
  10. ↑ "Alouettes acquire Messam from Eskimos for draft pick". 5 February 2013. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ↑ "Als release Messam; Popp explains why". 17 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Riders Transaction- July 9th – Saskatchewan Roughriders". 9 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Roughriders sign RB Messam to extension". TSN. The Canadian Press.
  14. ↑ "Stamps land Messam in swap with Riders – CFL.ca". 14 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Messam pens new deal with Stampeders – CFL.ca". 8 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Messam is top Canadian – Calgary Stampeders". 24 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "CFL issues statement on release of Jerome Messam". cfl.ca. July 30, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.