Chris Backes nominated for two awards

While the football team may not be playing on the field, that certainly is not stopping quarterback Chris Backes from racking up accolades off of it. In the past month, Backes has been named one of 199 semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy and a member of the 22-man Allstate Good Works Team.

The Campbell Trophy recognizes scholar-athletes who display excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the field. If named as one of the 14 finalists, Backes will receive an $18,000 scholarship for postgraduate education.

“[This award] means a lot,” Backes said. “After getting to know our previous semifinalists, it really inspired me to be the best person I could be at St. John’s. I know I am not the only one on this team who could have received this, so I am honored to be able to represent St. John’s.”

Backes’s nomination marks the 18th consecutive year a Johnnie has been named a semifinalist. For Head Coach Gary Fasching, this is a result of the culture built within the program.

“St. John’s University attracts young men who are well-rounded,” Fasching said. “It means that we are recruiting a certain type of young man to our program. We want players who are selfless, not selfish. The expectation that we have for all of our players is that they will be challenged in and out of the classroom.”

Backes boasts a 4.0 GPA and is a member of OIKOS, St. John’s Economics Honors Society. He also is the president of the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participates in volunteering opportunities ranging from SJU’s Tackle Cancer Initiative to visiting St. Jude’s Research Hospital in 2019.

“I volunteer because of the privileges I have in my life,” Backes said. “One thing that drives me to help with St. Jude is that cancer is one of the most terrible things in this world. Knowing that the families had no control over the situation makes me want to give those families as much comfort as possible. It is important to appreciate what we have and help out when other people’s lives have been less fortunate than ours.”

His involvement in these volunteering opportunities is the reason he was named to the Allstate Good Works Team. For Backes, it is important not only to volunteer but also to encourage others to do so.

“We have been blessed with this platform, and we should use this platform to help do good in our community,” Backes said. “I think there are great people in our community who want to make a difference in this world, but they may not know the best ways to go about that as they first arrive on campus.”

For the football team, Fasching and leaders like Backes provide opportunities for players to volunteer.

“Our expectations of our players are that they will be great in the classroom, great in the community and great on the field,” Fasching said. “Chris is always the first in line when he is called upon to help. He understands the importance of giving back.”

As the praise and accolades pile up, Backes is thankful for those who helped him get to where he is today.

“These awards are such an honor, but really there does not need to be any recognition for doing what is right,” Backes said. “The reward I get is knowing that I can help people. I believe that these awards go out to the CSB and SJU communities for helping me give back and grow into the best person I can be.