Stamps’ Messam still dominant in a ‘young man’s game’

OTTAWA Some might consider 32-yearold Jerome Messam on the older side when it comes to football, but the Calgary Stampeders running back bristles when asked about his age.

“Age is just a number,” said Messam. “In football once you get 30 plus they start to say you’re old, but it’s all about how your body feels and I got a lot of football left. My legs feel young. I haven’t taken a beating or a lot of mileage because I didn’t play a lot when I started earlier on in my career.”

Indeed, Messam looked fresh this season, playing in 17 games and piling up 1,016 yards, good for third in the league and just 19 yards short of league-leading Andrew Harris, who played one more game.

He plans to cap his standout season with one more big performance when the Stampeders take on the Toronto Argonauts in Sunday night’s Grey Cup game.

“I believe the running back position is the toughest one to maintain when you’re in your 30s,” said Stampeders coach Dave Dickenson. “It’s a young man’s game, you take a pounding, you’re getting a lot of carries, a lot of catches and for Jerome to be doing what he’s doing at this age, I think, is a tribute to him and he’s doing a great job.”

A native of Brampton, Ont., Messam initially signed with the B.C. Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2010. In the seven years since he’s played for Edmonton, Montreal and Saskatchewan.

In 2015 Messam was the league’s second leading rusher when he was traded to Calgary at the trade deadline. With star rusher Jon Cornish sidelined with a concussion, Messam was able to make an immediate impact with the Stampeders.

Cornish retired at the end of the season and Messam went on to have a career year in Calgary in 2016.