Notebook: Jerome Messam can’t wait for Saturday

Jerome Messam is eager to face the Calgary Stampeders, but not because he’s seeking revenge.

The former Stampeders tailback now is a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are to face Calgary in a CFL game Saturday at Mosaic Stadium.

But Messam stressed Tuesday — just as he did before the teams met in the pre-season — that he’s not looking to show the Stampeders that they made a mistake by letting him hit free agency in the off-season.

“(Playing Calgary) is exciting,” Messam said after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s our first Western opponent (of the regular season) and it’s going to be a huge test for us to see where we match up in the West.

“As far as anything else goes, I’m just approaching it like any other week. That was the emphasis of Coach (Chris) Jones in the meetings: Don’t do anything different. They’re a great team, but we’re going to do what we do over here and know that we can execute and beat them.”

Messam spent the previous two-plus seasons with the Stampeders, but they told him in the off-season that he should test the free-agent waters. He found an interested party in the Roughriders, who signed him on Feb. 14.

The 33-year-old product of Toronto said after signing with Saskatchewan that he didn’t have any hard feelings toward the Stamps for their decision to go with younger, American-born tailbacks. On Tuesday, he reiterated that feeling.

“They’re playing great football right now, so there’s not really much that we can say to knock them,” he said of the 5-0-0 Stampeders. “As far as it goes personally, I just want to be productive. It’d just be awesome to get a win over those guys.”

Messam goes into the game as Saskatchewan’s leading rusher this season with 180 yards on 47 carries, and he put the finishing touches on Thursday’s 31-20 victory over the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

After recording seven carries for 18 yards over the first three quarters, Messam rushed eight times for 52 yards over the Roughriders’ final two possessions in the fourth quarter to help kill the clock.

“It’s important to me (to deliver in that situation), but it’s a new role for me right now with this team and I’m trying to figure out how that goes and deal with that,” said Messam, who’s splitting time with Marcus Thigpen and Tre Mason. “But I’m staying positive and anytime they need to call my number, I’m going to be ready to help the team.”

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Duron Carter was helping both the offence and defence during Tuesday’s practice.

Carter, who started the season as a receiver with the offence before starting the past four games at cornerback, took snaps on both sides of the ball Tuesday.

”We’ve got to make sure he knows what to do,” said Jones, the Roughriders’ head coach and general manager. “It’s Day 1, so tomorrow you’ll see him back at DB.”

Newly signed Will Blackmon took reps at cornerback with the starting defence Tuesday, which allowed Carter to start practice with the offence. But Carter also replaced Blackmon with the defensive starter in other drills.

Jones was non-committal when asked if Carter’s reps with the offence meant he would play more at receiver against the Stampeders.

“We’ll see,” Jones said. “We’ve got to play defence first. If they don’t score or if we can hold them down, we’ve got a chance to win the football game. Offence is important, but you’ve got to stop them from scoring.”

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Blackmon, 33, was one of three international defenders added to the practice roster Tuesday.

The 6-foot-0, 210-pound product of Boston College played 96 career NFL games from 2006 through ’16 with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins. He won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2011.

Shawun Lurry is a 23-year-old defensive back out of Northern Illinois University. The 6-foot-0, 210-pounder played 48 career games over four seasons with the Huskies.

Linebacker Thomas Gordon joins the Roughriders after playing 14 games with the Toronto Argonauts in 2016. The 27-year-old product of the University of Michigan had 37 tackles, six special-teams stops, two sacks and an interception for the Argos.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Gordon also had a previous stint with the Giants.

In another transaction, international defensive lineman Curt Maggitt was put on the suspended list.

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Starting strong-side linebacker Derrick Moncrief is destined for the six-game injured list.

Moncrief left Thursday’s game after suffering a left shoulder injury. Former Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam worked as the starting SAM during Tuesday’s practice.

Three other players who needed medical assistance during Thursday’s contest were on the field Tuesday. Defensive back Crezdon Butler, receiver Josh Stanford and guard Brendon LaBatte all worked with their fellow starters.

LaBatte’s injury appeared to be the worst Thursday — he went down in the first quarter after his left knee buckled — but he returned to the game in the second quarter and played the rest of the way. On Tuesday, he looked no worse for wear.

Three players who have been on the six-game injured list since the start of the season were on the field Tuesday as well. Linebackers Brandyn Bartlett and Kevin Francis and offensive lineman Josiah St. John — all of whom are eligible to come off the injured list next week — took reps during the workout.