Drew University Athletics

Daffin "Swede" Backstrom was a standout athlete and coach at Drew for both the baseball, and basketball teams. He earned a B.A. in history from Drew and served as a class officer in addition to his athletic exploits.

Backstrom, the recipient of the Albert Ben Wegener. Scholarship, earned four varsity letters in basketball and baseball, guiding the hoop team to a 40-17 record and the boys of spring to a 26-12 record during his career. He was elected captain of the basketball team twice and was co-captain of the baseball team for two years as well.

During the summer of 1939, while still a student at Drew, Backstrom played in the Northern College Baseball League for the team from Burlington Vt.

A charter member of Pi Gamma Mu, Backstrom played two years of professional baseball and worked for five years during World War II at the Hercules Powder Company. He then returned to university life, where he would remain until he retired in 1978.

After coaching for three years at Drew (two as the assistant baseball coach and one as the head coach), Backstrom moved on to Kansas Wesleyan University, where he served as college professor, coach, athletic director, dean of students, and admissions counselor. He also spent three years teaching and coaching at a high school in Memphis, Mich.