Tyler Yocum ’26 and Jason Compoh ’25, M’26 have had similar journeys during their careers on the Merrimack College football team.
During their sophomore and junior years, they experienced the uncertainty that comes with a head coaching change. While many teammates at the time opted to enter the transfer portal, both Yocum and Compoh saw that uncertainty evaporate when long-time Merrimack College coach Mike Gennetti was named to the top job.
“Once it was announced that Coach G was our head coach, I had no thoughts of leaving Merrimack,” Yocum, a tight end, said. “He’s just a trustworthy guy who sticks to his word. You can have meaningful conversations with him that don’t involve football, which I like.”
“I think that having Coach Gennetti as the new head coach really kept the team alive,” Compoh, a defensive lineman added. “I can’t imagine what the team would look like if someone else took over. I think we were able to pick up right where we left off and go in the right direction for our program.”
The pair also experienced injuries resulting in a redshirt season during their collegiate football careers. For Yocum, he tore his knee in his junior year, marking the first time he couldn’t play, while Compoh injured his shoulder his freshman year.
“It was definitely hard, probably one of the toughest moments of my life,” Yocum noted. “It was hard to stay positive, but I had a good group of teammates, and my roommates and coaches helped me stay focused and didn’t forget about me.”
Off the field, Yocum and Compoh are also involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a club that brings student-athletes and followers of the Christian faith together. Compoh has been a member since his freshman year and now he serves as the co-president.
“We run the bible study, we make custom plans and we have been able to grow the club with other student-athletes joining, from men’s and women’s basketball, ice hockey, baseball and lacrosse,” Compoh said.
And among the responsibilities and commitments that come with academics and Division I sports, both men pursued internships around summer camp, in-season and off-season workouts.
Yocum will obtain his undergraduate degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has held an internship for the past three years at a medical device sales company with the goal of a full-time position in May. Compoh got his undergraduate degree in exercise science and has interned at an area physical therapy practice where he was able to apply the skills he learned in his undergraduate program.
“I mean, they are just the heart and soul of our program,” said Gennetti. “Both of them are great kids, great students and great representatives of our team and Merrimack.”
Yocum and Compoh will play their final game for the Warriors on Saturday, Nov. 22, when Merrimack hosts Fordham University at Duane Stadium at noon.
