SASKATOON — Jerome Messam’s face lit up Monday.
After discussing the restrictions he’s under at the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp — a so-called “pitch count” to save wear and tear on his 33-year-old legs — and his expectations for the 2018 CFL season, Messam was asked about his cousin Makayla.
The Roughriders’ 6-foot-3, 240-pound running back immediately started beaming.
“She’s always smiling every day,” Messam said of his 21-year-old cousin. “She takes a half-full approach on life and I try to use that as my motivation to come out for practice or when the body is sore or hurting and I’ve got to fight through.
“We take things for granted, like being able to talk and walk. (Her situation) stays in the back of my mind and reminds me how blessed I am to be able to play this game and have all my body parts working correctly. I look at her and just use her as motivation and inspiration.”
“She takes a half-full approach on life and I try to use that as my motivation to come out for practice or when the body is sore or hurting and I’ve got to fight through.”
Makayla Messam suffered a traumatic brain injury at birth. She has cerebral palsy and a developmental disability.
When Jerome was a teenager, he moved in with his grandmother so that he could attend a high school in Brampton, Ont. His uncle, aunt and their then-four-year-old daughter, Makayla, also lived in the house — and Jerome saw daily what the family had to face.
“I was upset for her,” he recalled after practice at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus. “I could see her vibrant personality and how she would be if she didn’t have cerebral palsy. It was a natural feeling, but I got over it.
“I had interacted with her since she was born, but to live with her and see the ins and outs every day was different. Having to feed her. She couldn’t hold her head up. She was a four-year-old who was still crawling. She was wearing leg braces. It was frustrating, but at the same time, it was very humbling and it made me put a lot of things into perspective.”
Jerome helped looked after Makayla when his uncle and aunt were at work or when her caregiver couldn’t be at the house. That too offered him some insight into what families of people with special needs face.
“Her verbal communication isn’t really there,” Jerome said. “She comprehends everything very well, but it’s tough for her to express herself and you can see her get frustrated.
“I know the stresses and the things that go on with someone dealing with special needs and the strain that it can put on a family.”
And now, nearly 20 years later, Messam is drawing inspiration from his cousin.
On June 24, she’s to graduate from the specialized high school program in which she has been enrolled. In September, she’ll move on to The Centre of Dreams, a day program in Markham, Ont., that aims to help those with developmental disabilities become independent.
This off-season, Jerome became an ambassador for the centre.
He wanted to get more involved in his community and his aunt suggested he look into helping those with cerebral palsy. He found out about The Centre for Dreams and immediately dived in.
According to the centre’s mission statement, “Dreams” stands for “Developing Relationships with Exceptional Adults in Modern Society.”
“In Ontario, there isn’t much care provided or things for them to do aside from having a parent quit their job and become a full-time caregiver unless they can afford to pay for full-time care,” Messam explained.
“(The centre) is a place for them to go and learn life skills. It’s huge as far as them being around people like themselves, feeling welcome, feeling accepted and being able to grow personally and have their own independence. That’s huge for Makayla.
“I’m happy for her. I think she’ll thrive from it.”
With Makayla as his motivation, Messam is preparing for his ninth CFL season.
He has changed from the younger man who broke into the league in 2010 with the B.C. Lions, who suspended him in training camp in 2011 before trading him to the Edmonton Eskimos.
His CFL career also has included stops with the Montreal Alouettes (2013), the Roughriders (2014-15) and the Calgary Stampeders (2015-17). He signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent in February.
Asked Monday how he compares now to the Jerome Messam who played in B.C., Messam paused before replying with a grin: “Less impulsive.”
“You put things in perspective,” he continued. “I’ve got a child I’ve got to live for. I’ve got a fiancée I’ve got to live for.
“You think about all the people who are in your corner, the people who you’ve got to make proud. With any decision that you make, you could let down a whole lot of people — and you don’t want to do that. You don’t want to embarrass your family or your organization or anything like that.”
During camp, Messam and fellow veteran Marcus Thigpen have been asked to take on lesser roles while the Roughriders evaluate running backs like Zac Stacy, Tre Mason and David Cobb. That, in the words of head coach-GM Chris Jones, is the “pitch count” under which Messam has been operating.
But does the four-time 1,000-yard rusher think he needs one?
“Not really, but I understand why (Jones) is doing it,” Messam said. “He wants us to be strong at the end of the year. It’s an 18-game grind.
“It’s different for me, but I’m adjusting and I’ve got to stay mentally locked in and ready to play.”
Messam could be a ratio-breaker for the Roughriders if he wins the starting job. He’s coming off back-to-back seasons of at least 200 carries and 1,000 yards — and the resulting battering that an inside runner takes — but he’s convinced he’s good for at least two more seasons.
“I’m low mileage,” Messam said. “My first few years in the league I didn’t play too much, so I feel like I’ve got a lot left.”
