NORTH ANDOVER – Throughout his high school and college football career, Merrimack College running back Jermaine Corbett has rushed for 7,013 yards, has an additional 978 receiving yards and has scored a combined 80 touchdowns.
The combined 7,991 yards is equivalent to 4.5 miles.
That’s like walking from Merrimack College to North Andover High School … and back!
Of the 80 touchdowns, one stands out more than any other: a 46-yarder in the team’s lopsided 63-17 loss to UConn in week two of the season.
“It was my first time scoring after my dad passed away and I had just a bunch of emotions during that moment,” he recalled.
Back in March — after transferring to Merrimack from Stonehill (the two teams will meet at Duane Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m.) — Corbett received a phone call that forever changed his life.
“My uncle called saying my father was gone,” he said. “Honestly, I broke down. I didn’t know what to do. I told my teachers and coaches that I wasn’t going to be here the rest of the semester. I knew my head wasn’t going to be where it should be. I’m still grieving. Every minute of every day, I’m thinking about him. Honestly, where I am today is all because of him. I feel like he’s still a part of me.”
Jermaine comes from a big football family. His father (Jermaine, Sr.), his uncle Tidy and his brother Dahmiereall played high school football at Long Beach High in New Jersey.
While Jermaine’s father was a linebacker, Dahmiere and Jermaine became the first two players in the history of the school to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Jermaine was a three-time all-state player and led his team to two state championships.
From there, Corbett went to Stonehill and scored 18 combined touchdowns the last two seasons. Now at Merrimack as a grad student, Corbett has rushed for 584 yards on 94 carries (6.2 yards per carry) with five touchdowns.
“Growing up my dad was always on me about finishing and making sure that I was completing all of the training that I specifically had to do,” said Corbett, who has drawn interest from some NFL and XFL teams.
“He would teach me ways to make guys miss me, and teach me how to follow my offensive line.”
Corbett has rushed for over 100 yards in three of the six Warriors’ games, including 166 in the win over Bucknell.
“Jermaine is as a good of a football player as I have coached at my time at Merrimack. He’s a total, complete player. He made a bunch of plays. He plays really, really hard and he’s really tough,” said head coach Mike Gennetti.
In last week’s win over Morgan State, Corbett added another wrinkle into his game. He returned the game’s opening kickoff 99 yards for the score.
“It was awesome. Once I saw the hole with Donte Williams, Wes Matthews and Matthias Latham blocking, I just followed those guys,” he said. “Next thing you know we’re in the end zone, all cheering it up.”
Come Saturday, the Warriors will be looking for their first home win. Corbett said he’s not going to be trash-talking his former teammates. He just wants to do his job, while honoring and remembering his father.
“This game is all from him. I grew up with my dad teaching me everything,” he said. “He was always on me and helped me so much. I come out here on the field and it’s the only time I’m smiling and laughing because it brings out him.”
Twitter:@JamiePote