Athlete of the Week - Sam Backer, Chatfield Gophers Football

CHATFIELD, Minn. (KTTC) – Sam Backer might be the safest bet in Minnesota cause he’s liable to rush for 300 yards almost every week.

“I feel good. Being a senior I’m pretty confident usually whenever I get on the field,” Sam Backer said.

The numbers back him up.

Last week in a win over La Crescent on just 14 carries he ran for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns and Coach Jeff Johnson has had a front row seat to it all.

“He’s been very explosive every time he’s touched the ball I mean he’s wanted to score the football and you can tell that every time he touches it. He’s averaging over 18 yards per carry right now and that’s just unheard of,” Jeff Johnson said.

The Chatfield senior has only gotten better with time.

“Every year he’s just gotten more and more explosive. I mean he started off as a 9th grader weighing you know 165 pounds with speed and now, he’s 195 pounds pushing 200, but can still run a 4.4 forty,” Johnson said.

Last year could be considered his break out year.

As his 3,117 all purpose yards and 51 touchdowns power Chatfield to the state title game, one they won, but he didn’t get to play in after being suspended because if a pair of unsportsmanlike conducts in the semis.

“I still think about what it would’ve been like so I always think about that. So I want to get back and I want to be there this time with my team, but at the same time you kind of move past it like alright this is a new season, a new me,” Backer said.

The new him is older and wiser.

“I’m way more confident, I don’t really get nervous going to games like I was last year I just kind of try to have fun now,” Backer said.

And still dominating the competition as he looks to lift that state trophy himself this year..

‘That would be amazing. I always wanted to win state and I mean I guess you could say I won state last year, but I want a different feeling this year. That would feel fantastic.”

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