There are no rear-view mirrors on the Messam train.

The page has officially been turned for the bruising tailback now that the first day of training camp has arrived.

As it turns out, a return to the practice field was all he needed to put last year behind him, once and for all.

“To be honest with you, today, just going out for this practice,” replied Jerome Messam, who once again promises to be a crucial component of the Stampeders backfield. “I’ve held that (loss) in my mind throughout the whole off-season as motivation. We can’t rest. We can’t be settling with what we did last year and we’ve always got to strive for greatness. I just think with today’s practice and being able to get here and know the new season underway is a chance to wipe the slate clean.”

A defeat to the Ottawa RedBlacks in last year’s 104th Grey Cup justifiably took some time to digest, and Messam has now channeled that into undeniable enthusiasm for the 2017 season.

“Unfinished business – that’s my motto,” the Graceland alumnus rapidly replied. “We were two yards away from greatness last year and I know a lot of guys have a really bad taste in the mouth. We have new goals set and I think a little bit of how last season ended has helped us to lock in and come in with a new focus and set the bar higher.”

Coming off a personal-best campaign which included a league rushing crown, CFL all-star nod and Most Outstanding Canadian award, Messam will look to duplicate his personal success from last year, but has only one goal in mind which reaches far beyond individual accolades.

“I just want to continue to help my team win,” responded No. 33. “And any time I touch the ball, I’m just trying to go forward. But it’s a team-focus.”

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 254-lbs., the eight-year veteran has recently adopted some new training techniques to continue keeping up with the demands of a grueling 18-game schedule.

“Just doing more to keep the body limber,” he outlined. “A lot of stretching, a lot of yoga. I got a new trainer this year and his name is Jay Martin. He did a really great job with a lot of correctives – doing things properly and the right way and not anything too heavy to beat up the joints or the muscles.”

Along with Messam’s admirable approach and updated training regimen, the Stamps’ longstanding philosophy of retaining so many of their key veteran pieces has also contributed to an optimistic outlook on the coming year.

“Most of the team is back and I think that’s a testament to why the team has been so good over the years,” suggested Messam. “We stick with our guys and we know what we want and we’re not doing too much in free agency. We draft young guys and we develop them. I’m happy with what we have as far as the team goes. We lost some key players but I think that the guys that they brought in are ready to pick up the slack.”

As for whether the proverbial railroad tracks will lead all the way to TD Place on Nov. 26 for another shot at a CFL title, only time will tell, but today is when the wheels were set in motion.

“I’m just so happy to be back in Calgary and back to work,” Messam declared. “I’m just ready to get the ball rolling.”