By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
St. John’s running back Jacob Mpoyo recently finished off an impressive high school career filled with countless successes. He started for the team in grade nine, helping the school win their first WHSFL title since 1980, and combined for 1,666 all-purpose yards between his grade ten and 12 seasons (2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19). Throughout his career, he was known as a fearless north-south ball-carrier who rarely went down on first contact, and he’s rightfully earned looks at the next level, specifically from the Winnipeg Rifles.
Mpoyo’s progression as a ball-carrier is a testament to the quality of coaching he received while with the Tigers, but it also speaks to his resiliency and work ethic in learning a new skill. Prior to 2017, Mpoyo’s main passion was soccer, a sport he’d grown up playing in Africa. It consumed most of his time, occasionally to his detriment.
“I was born in the Congo, and my family escaped from a war in Congo and came to Zambia in a refugee camp. I had a messed up childhood. I was never listening,” he says.
“I was getting whooped every day. I got whooped at school and I got whooped at home. At school I would be so loud in class, and I got into fights. I would argue about stuff a lot. After school was done, I never went straight home. I went to play soccer and got home really late. I had a dream to be like Cristiano Rinaldo. I used to like playing right wing and left wing, because I used to watch [Lionel] Messi and Ronaldo a lot and they played on the wing.”
An “outgoing and energetic person,” playing soccer helped Mpoyo make friends, both in Africa and in Canada, which he and his family of seven moved to when he was ten as part of the United Nations’ sponsorship program.
“They pick your name and tell you what country you’ll be going to in a few years. I got lucky because we were coming to Canada. At first I was really happy. When I got off the plane, I thought the snow was a decoration,” he chuckled. “I remember touching it, and it wasn’t cold. And then in the morning when I woke up, I went outside and touched it and it was cold. That was my first time ever seeing snow.”
Definitely not tag
In grade six, Mpoyo was introduced to football for the first time through his soccer coach. He was fascinated by what he saw, and wanted to try it out, not knowing what he was getting into at the time.
“My soccer coach took me to a Bombers game and I thought that football was tag. And then I was like okay, I can probably do that. That’s what I was thinking,” he noted.
“When I came to St. John’s, I saw them playing it and I talked to [head coach] coach [Grant] McMillan and I asked if I could try out for the team. I was in grade eight. He told me I was too young, and then I lied to him and told him I was in grade nine. I tried to sneak onto the football team and I got rammed by [offensive lineman] Rain Slater and I quit football. I didn’t know what I was doing. I thought it was tag until he ran me over.”
For the sake of context, Slater was 6’4” and well over 300 pounds in high school and later committed to play for the University of Manitoba, so it’s safe to say Mpoyo got an alarming wake-up call to the game.
Instead of giving up, Mpoyo worked to get better. He trained in the offseason and when his grade nine season in 2018 arrived, he started to understand the playbook further. The Tigers went 6-1 in the regular season, thanks to a dynamic passing attack that included Asher Wood and Jaron Yakimishyn at receiver, while Mpoyo contributed over 200 yards on the ground, improving with each game.
The Tigers advanced to the final that year, where they faced an Elmwood team that handed them their only loss of the regular season. In a snowy affair, Mpoyo shone, recording his best statistical game of the season with over 100 rushing yards. His defining moment came on the team’s game-winning drive where he ran the ball up the middle on almost every play, tallying over 60 yards and nearly eight yards per carry as the Tigers won 13-10.
Mpoyo’s fearlessness was a credit to running backs coach Brian Marks, the WHSFL’s JV commissioner and a household name in the community, both as a player and coach for countless decades.
“[Marks] made me understand what type of sport it was, and he taught me how to be tough and get physical,” says Mpoyo. “I used to be someone who was always afraid of contact, and he took that away. I used to try and always fake everyone out, and I always ran away from contact, but now it’s changed. He helped out a lot with my footwork and basically made me the running back that I am now. All the credit goes to him.”
Winning the championship helped Mpoyo gain further confidence in himself, both on and off the field. He was also lifted up by the team’s leaders, such as Nick Wakos, Wood, Yakimishyn and Chase Kaminski.
“The leaders on the team were amazing. They would hype be up after every play. They made me start feeling the love for football. The o-line would be turning me up even when I only picked up a few yards. They helped me gain confidence and love football even more than soccer. I don’t even play soccer anymore. I fell in love with football because of them. It was an amazing group.”
Overcoming adversity on and off the field
In grade ten, Mpoyo and the Tigers moved up to Division 2, which was quite the jump considering the team’s roster size and overall level of experience. Nonetheless, they won their first two games and advanced to the playoffs.
The 5’10”, 205-pounder was part of an efficient run game that also included Joshua Farber, a powerful freshman who’d previously been a provincial champion with the North Winnipeg Nomads and represented Manitoba at the U16 level. Mpoyo and Farber combined for 710 rushing yards and were also two of the squad’s best defenders, tallying 38 tackles.
In 2020, Mpoyo endured a different type of adversity. He contracted COVID-19 and was on the shelf for three weeks. He also lost his sense of taste for four months and dropped to 180 pounds. Despite this, he still practiced as much as he could and did workouts with his dad.
Additionally, Mpoyo was supported by the Rising Stars Foundation (RSF), a Manitoba non-profit corporation that “enriches those from underserved communities by supporting, developing and mentoring young student leaders from all backgrounds.” It was through the RSF that Mpoyo was able to work on his agility and quickness while also gaining practical life skills.
“We were doing speed drills without any equipment. I took those speed drills and during COVID I would do them on my own. I took a lot from the Rising Stars. I met a lot of good people that I could always call any time I needed help. They’ve given me a lot of chances in life. They’re always there to support me. Any time I need anything I shoot a text off to coach Wilfred [Samking]. I’m glad that we having Rising Stars.”
Stepping up
This past year, Mpoyo and Farber handled most of the load again for the Tigers, who played in Division 3. With Mpoyo primarily running the offence from the wildcat, the duo combined for 1,784 yards and 16 majors as one of the league’s most potent rushing attacks. Each back had the capability to take over games. Farber rushed for 313 yards and four scores against West Kildonan, while Mpoyo had over 200 yards in multiple games and also led the team in tackles, with 42.
“It was different this year. Josh Farber and I were the only captains and I did pretty good at stepping up,” he says. “I was pumped. It was fun. After two years of not putting on pads and no contact, it was crazy. At the same time, there were a lot of new players who hadn’t played football, so it was kind of different. I had to explain what football was to them because there were only three players on the team who had played football before.”
Because Mpoyo understood where the newer players were coming from, he was able to help them grasp a handle on the game. It was fun shift from previous years and an example of the game coming full circle.
“The difference was that they understood football faster than I did,” he laughed. “It took me at least a year but they caught on quickly, which was great.”
With his high school journey now over, Mpoyo looks forward to taking the next step in his career. The game has given him so much in a short time, and he’s thankful for the man he’s become as a result.
“Football has provided a lot honestly. It gave me a lot of responsibility. Before I never really strived for my goals. Soccer, I was always really gifted so I didn’t really practice, but football, waking up early in the morning, hitting the gym in the summer, I had never been doing that. Before I used to sleep in a lot, but just because of football I started waking up early. I developed as a man and became a better member of society and a better leader too. I have a lot of things to thank football for. It’s made me a great leader in the community.”