Training camp has come to an end and players’ nerves are starting to return to normal at McMahon Stadium now that the dust has settled from the final big round of cuts.

As some players nervously waited to see if they would be called into the office to meet with management, one player was busy focusing himself for the upcoming season, with dreams of hoisting the Grey Cup on Nov. 27.

That would be pretty special for Jerome Messam, a native of Toronto, where the 105th Grey Cup will be taking place.

“Sky’s the limit,” says Messam, referring to the prospects of where this season could go for the Stampeders. “We’ve had a good camp. Guys are ready to get into the season and get going.”

The players aren’t the only ones looking forward to what this season will bring — fans also want to see how this team, that saw some turnover in key areas, will turn out.

Off the sidelines to focus on the front office goes John Hufnagel, the architect for the steady club that has led the league in wins the last eight seasons combined.

Taking his place is long-time protégé Dave Dickenson, no slouch when it comes to constructing dominant offences that have consistently camped out in the top tier of the league year in and year out.

Key departures came in the form of Juwan Simpson, Keon Raymond and Jon Cornish, considered to be in the top of their respective fields and mainstays on Hufnagel’s teams.

But as has always been the case with the Red and White, these are mere opportunities for another player to step up and, in Messam’s case, he looks forward to leading this team from the backfield for a full season.

“We’ve had a good camp,” says Messam. “We have a team saturated with veterans and the young guys have really stepped up. This team is going up and we can only get better.”

No. 33 says the change at the coaching position – at least from an offence standpoint – is no issue.

With Dickenson being the offensive coordinator for so long and Hufnagel’s hands-off approach last year, according to Messam, things are continuing to run like clockwork.

“Training camp was a good period for us to feel things out on offence and see how we look and I think we progressed from the first game,” he says.

From here on out, Messam says it’s all about execution, reverting back to some advice he gave to rookie players before the last pre-season game in B.C.

“Worry about the things you can control,” he says. “Be sound in your assignments and give it your all. That way, whatever the outcome may be, you can look yourself in the mirror and say you gave it your all.”

The journey to give it their all starts for the Stampeders in Vancouver this Saturday night, one step closer for Messam to possibly visit his home to compete for the league championship.