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| David Backes played for Minnesota State from 2003-06 where he totaled 46 goals and 73 assists for 119 points in 115 games |
No ordinary college student, mind you, because Backes was a electrical engineering student with a 4.00 grade point average who also happened to play NCAA Division I hockey.
A forward for Minnesota State, Backes played for the Mavericks for three seasons (2003-06) where he scored 46 goals and had 73 assists for 119 points in 115 games.
Selected by St. Louis in the second round of the 2003 National Hockey League draft, the two-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic pick was named a Third Team All-American his last year with the program in 2005-06.
After a short apprenticeship in the American Hockey League, Backes has gone on to rack up 357 points on 159 goals and 198 assists in seven and half seasons with the Blues. He has appeared in the last two Olympics with the United States men's hockey team. An accomplished pilot, Backes and his wife Kelly, are the founders of Athletes for Animals - a foundation that includes professional athletes from various sports with a "shared passion for rescuing an protecting the welfare of homeless pets nationwide."
He's accomplished a lot for such a young person, but one of the things left undone was getting his degree.
"I set out going to school to get a degree and I expected to finish. I didn't necessarily expect pro hockey to happen and certainly not the the way it's happened" said the Blaine, Minn., native.
And so this past Saturday, he ticked another item off the list. College graduate.
"My degree is in applied organizational studies with a non profit leadership certificate. It's pertinent to what Kelly and I are up to now."
With the sheepskin in hand, one wonders what's next for the former Maverick captain.
"Getting the degree was something that was high on the list. Now it's sort of let's go find something else we can move forward with."
It's great to be a Maverick.
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