Colorado University Athletics

PAUL BACKOWSI BIOGRAPHY

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PAUL BACKOWSKI, OL

6-7, 265, Foley, Minn. (Foley)

 

 

  HIGH SCHOOL?A three-year letterman who excelled on both sides of the ball, he was a first-team all-state offensive tackle by the Associated Press and the St. Paul Pioneer Press his senior season, as well as an honorable mention all-state defensive end.  A senior team captain, he was also a first-team Rum River Conference honoree, while he was selected as the Most Valuable Lineman in the league and for Foley.  SuperPrep named him to its All-Midwest team in both the pre- and postseason, while the G&W Recruiting Report named him to its 2004 Top Midlands Players List.  One recruiting magazine noted him for his outstanding “range and wingspan.”  During his junior campaign he garnered second-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors on the offensive line, and was also named his team’s Most Valuable Lineman.  As a senior, he had 52 pancake blocks, allowed no quarterback sacks and only committed four penalties.  On defense in his first taste at end, he racked up 30 tackles (17 solo, six for losses and four sacks), one forced fumble and two pass deflections.  His junior year he had 22 pancakes, with no sacks allowed and just six penalties.  At defensive tackle he also totaled a career-high 35 stops (18 solo), 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.  During his sophomore campaign he piled up 20 pancake blocks and only allowed one sack, while he also had 12 tackles (five solo), three stuffs for loss, one forced fumble and one recovery.  Top games: in a 22-6 win over North Branch his senior year, he had 14 pancake blocks to help his tailback rush for 160 yards and two touchdowns, while on defense, he had six solo tackles, two for losses; in a tight 13-12 loss to Class 4A Princeton that same season, his tailback again ran for 160 yards and one score courtesy his 10 pancakes; and in a 24-19 loss to 5A Tartan his junior season, he had eight pancakes and eight tackles, including two sacks.  Under coach Larry Herm, Foley won the conference title his senior season with a 7-2 record (lost in first round of sectionals), was 5-4 his junior campaign and 9-2 his sophomore year (won the conference crown and reached the section finals).  He also lettered three times in basketball at center, averaging 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game as a senior.  He lettered three times in track (throws), where he placed sixth in state as a junior in the shot put with a 55-1; his personal best in the discus is a 135-0, while he was named the school’s Most Valuable Field Events Performer his junior year.                                   

  ACADEMICS?He is interested in business as a major at Colorado.  He boasts a 3.3 grade point average, as he’s been on the “B” honor roll every semester of his prep career.  

  VITALS?Has 5.13 speed in the 40 and bench presses 260 pounds.    

  RECRUITING?He selected Colorado over Indiana, Wyoming and Minnesota (he had committed very early to Indiana when Gerry DiNardo was head coach, but upon his dismissal, he started looking at other schools).

  PERSONAL?Born December 31, 1986 in Little Falls, Minn.  His hobbies include watching movies and fishing.  He is a math tutor at a local middle school and has tutored algebra to many students at his high school.      

(Last name is pronounced buh-cow-ski)