The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Backman Named To Mackey Award Midseason Watch List
10/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
NEW YORK ---- UAB senior Kennard Backman is one of 33 players named Monday to the 2014 John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List. Backman had also been one of the candidates named in July to the Preseason List.
Given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.
The 2014 John Mackey recipient will be announced on December 10, 2014 and then presented live on December 11, 2014 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU. Upcoming key dates include the announcement of the 2014 Mackey Semi-finalists on November 17, 2014 and the 2014 Mackey Finalists on November 24, 2014.
Backman, from Austell, Ga., is a four-year starter at tight end for the Blazers. He is off to his best season yet at UAB as he leads the team in receptions with 21 for 265 yards and three touchdowns at the midseason point of the 2014 campaign. Backman registered a career-long 43-yard reception in last Saturday's 56-21 victory over North Texas as the Blazers improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA play.
Backman registered 28 receptions for 302 yards with a pair of receiving touchdowns as a junior in 2013.
Backman is one of four tight ends in Conference USA who were named to the Mackey Midseason List. Other C-USA tight ends tabbed Monday were Mitchell Henry of WKU, Jonnu Smith of FIU and Eric Tomlinson of UTEP.
NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.
The John Mackey Award presented since 2000, lists 13 alumni to have played in the NFL: two-time Super Bowl Champion Daniel Graham (`01), 2006 Super Bowl Champion Dallas Clark (`02), Kellen Winslow II (`03), two-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller (`04) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marcedes Lewis (`05) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, 2008 Super Bowl Champion Matt Spaeth (`06) of the of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fred Davis (`07), Chase Coffman (`08), Aaron Hernandez (`09), D.J. Williams (`10) of the New England Patriots, Dwayne Allen (`11) of the Indianapolis Colts, Tyler Eifert (`12) of the Cincinnati Bengals and Austin Seferian-Jenkins (`13) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2014 John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List
Rory Anderson, Sr., South Carolina
Kennard Backman, Sr., UAB
EJ Bibbs, Sr., Iowa State
Gerald Christian, Sr., Louisville
Evan Engram, So., Ole Miss
Billy Freeman, So., San Jose State
David Grinnage, So., NC State
Connor Hamlett, Sr., Oregon State
Mitchell Henry, Sr., WKU
Jeff Heuerman, Sr., Ohio State
Bucky Hodges, Fr., Virginia Tech
Austin Hooper, So., Stanford
OJ Howard, So., Alabama
Jesse James, Jr., Penn State
Malcolm Johnson, Sr., Mississippi State
Ben Koyack, Sr., Notre Dame
Tyler Kroft, Jr., Rutgers
Jimmay Mundine, Sr., Kansas
Nick O'Leary, Sr., Florida State
Casey Pierce, Sr., Kent State
Joel Ruiz, Jr., Georgia State
Tyreese Russell, Sr., Eastern Michigan
Wes Saxton, Sr., South Alabama
Cam Serigne, Fr., Wake Forest
Jean Sifrin, Jr., Massachusetts
Justin Sinz, Sr., Purdue
Jonnu Smith, So., FIU
Randall Telfer, Sr., USC
Eric Tomlinson, Sr., UTEP
CJ Uzomah, Sr., Auburn
Clive Walford, Sr., Miami (Fla.)
Alex Welch, Sr., Miami (Ohio)
Maxx Williams, So., Minnesota
