ROUGH DAY FOR RIDERS,
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ game of musical running backs has been impacted by a negative chord.
One member of the CFL team’s tailback troika — Jerome Messam — was released Monday after being charged with voyeurism.
The CFL reacted by informing “all member clubs that the league will not register a contract for Messam should any team attempt to sign him.”
Whenever a legal matter pertains to a Roughriders player, discussion inevitably turns to the club’s code of conduct and its brand. It is of such importance to the team that it recently appointed a chief brand officer, Anthony Partipilo.
Developments such as the case of Messam do not reflect positively on the brand. But it is crucial to put the latest news in context. Consider all the laudable things Roughriders players do to enhance the brand, and the province in which they earn a living.
Cornerback Jovon Johnson held a barbecue Sunday to raise funds for the battle against Lyme disease.
Quarterback Zach Collaros, who was activated from the six-game injured list Monday, is donating a portion of his salary to the mamaweyatitan centre, a multiuse integrated facility in Regina’s North Central neighbourhood.
Centre Dan Clark, fullback Spencer Moore, lineman Eddie Steele and long-snapper Jorgen Hus tirelessly and selflessly volunteer their time as part of the provincewide Imagine No Bullying campaign.
The entire team reached out to Humboldt by holding a trainingcamp session in that community.
The SJHL’S Humboldt Broncos, who were involved in an April 6 bus tragedy, were also honoured June 30 when the Roughriders hosted the Montreal Alouettes.
And now there is the situation regarding Messam, who was employed by the Calgary Stampeders when the alleged incident occurred in November of 2016.
Messam then spent another full season with the Stampeders before being released in February, two months before the complainant raised the issue with the Calgary police. The player was charged Sunday.
Even if the legal matter had not arisen, it is doubtful there would have been a rabid market for the 33-year-old Messam, who was clearly in decline.
Consider the diminishing average yards per carry: 6.2 (in 2015), 5.8 (2016), 4.7 (2017) and 3.9 (2018).
Granted, the three-time 1,000-yard rusher helped the
3-3 Roughriders close out two of their victories with some key fourth-quarter runs, but he was no longer an every-down player, despite the ratio-related benefits of his Canadian citizenship.
Most recently, he fumbled in Saturday’s 34-22 loss to the visiting Stampeders, as he once again shared playing time with Marcus Thigpen and Tre Mason.
Tellingly, the six-foot-three, 230-pound Messam wasn’t even on the field in two situations that are seemingly tailor-made for a tailback of his dimensions.
In the first quarter, Thigpen was given the ball on third-andone, only to fumble.
On third-and-two in the second frame, the Roughriders gambled successfully thanks to an 18-yard run by Mason — the team’s longest offensive play of the day, as it turned out, during a generally dismal display.
Monday’s news about Messam created another dreary day in Riderville. But this, too, shall pass — for three yards on secondand-10, the way things are going.