COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Those who tune in to ESPN on Monday, Jan. 1, for the 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl will see Saint John's University senior wide receiver Jimmy Buck (Orono, Minn.) honored during halftime as a member of the 22-man Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.

Kickoff for Monday's showdown between No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Texas – which is a College Football Playoff semifinal – is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CT from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (with an approximate time of 9:15 p.m. CT for the halftime presentation).

Buck and his father, Jim (left), arrived in New Orleans Saturday. Earlier today, Buck and the rest of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team participated at a football clinic with Son of A Saint at the New Orleans Saints' indoor practice facility. Following the event, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members were guests of honor in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade. 

This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the award, which was established in 1992 to recognize a select group of college football players who have made a commitment to service and enriching the lives of others. The 22-man team is comprised of student-athletes across all divisions of college football, including four from Division III.

Buck is the seventh Johnnie to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the sixth in the last seven seasons: defensive lineman Michael Wozniak '22, quarterback Chris Backes '21, offensive lineman Ben Bartch '20, quarterback Jackson Erdmann '19 and wide receiver Will Gillach '19. Defensive end Kevin McNamara '07 was the first SJU student-athlete to receive the honor in 2006.

On the Field
Buck suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Johnnies' 2023 season-opening win over Trinity (Texas) Sept. 2 and appeared in just four other games, catching two passes for 21 yards. 

SJU (8-2, 7-1 MIAC) ended the 2023 season ranked as high as No. 19 in the D3football.com Top 25 poll.

A 2022 All-MIAC selection, Buck started all 12 games that season and tied for the team lead in receptions (68). He was second in receiving yards (899) and receiving touchdowns (8). He totaled 35 catches for 560 yards (16.0 avg.) and three touchdowns over a five-game stretch.

Buck (right, with Tim Tebow) ended his Johnnie career with 103 catches for 1,471 yards (14.3 avg.) and 15 touchdowns in 29 games. 

Off the Field
Buck is in his second year serving as the president of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Club on campus. The club holds bi-weekly meetings and contacts businesses to partner with for fundraising events. He is also the president of SJU Football's St. Jude committee, which shattered its goal of $50,000 by raising over $62,000 this fall. The team raised over $47,000 in 2022 and already surpassed $62,000 this fall. Buck was introduced to St. Jude's as a teen committee member in high school, where he was a named a top teen fundraiser in Minnesota in 2018 and 2019.

Since September 2022, Buck has served as a student ambassador for Neolth, an external company not associated with CSB+SJU, that creates programs and app-based tools for teens/young adults to manage stress and promote mental health. He was named a top Neolth ambassador in 2022.

Buck and his family volunteered 10-to-15 times each year from 2013-2020 at St. Stephen's Human Services (now known as Agate Housing and Services) in downtown Minneapolis. The family purchased food, prepared and served it for the homeless at the shelter.

A psychology major (pre-medicine emphasis), Buck interned (unpaid) this past summer with Touchstone Mental Health in Minneapolis. Touchstone is a non-profit that provides mental health resources via residential treatment, community services and housing programs for people aged 55+.