After falling out of favour with the team's head coach, he moved on to Graceland University in 2007 to play for the Yellowjackets of the NAIA.

In January 2008, he declared eligible for the NFL and CFL drafts, forgoing his senior year, but Messam went undrafted.

Messam signed as a free agent by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League on May 14, 2010, who held his rights after he went undrafted in the 2008 CFL Draft.

Messam entered the option-year of his contract in 2012 and used that opportunity to sign with the National Football League's Miami Dolphins on February 15, 2012.

He returned in time for the Labour Day Classic on September 3, 2012 and recorded a modest seven carries for 32 yards.

[12] Messam made his Roughrider debut on July 12, 2014 against the BC Lions and proceeded to play in 14 games during the 2014 CFL season while starting in two.

[13] Messam was the starting running back for the Roughriders for the 2015 season while sharing time with Anthony Allen.

[14] At the time, Messam was the league's second-leading rusher, but was in the final year of his contract and the Roughriders had already been eliminated from the playoffs.

Calgary's Jon Cornish was injured due to a concussion, so Messam started the final two games of the season for the Stampeders, recording 28 carries for 180 yards.

[16] Messam had a strong season in 2017 as well, finishing third in rushing yards with 1,016 (trailing Andrew Harris and William Powell) on 215 carries with nine touchdowns.

Messam scored two touchdowns in the 105th Grey Cup and received the Dick Suderman Trophy as the game's most valuable Canadian.