Abstract: A backbone modified polymer comprising the reaction product of an elastomeric polymer and a sulfide modifier represented by Formula 1: AS—Y-Zm (Formula 1), and wherein Y is (C12-C100) aralkyl, (C12-C100) aryl, (C12-C100) alkyl, or (C12-C100) dialkylether (alkyl-O-alkyl), and wherein each may be optionally substituted with (C1-C4alkyl, (C1-C4alkoxy, (C7-C16aryl, (C7-C16 aralkyl, nitrile, amine, NO2, alkoxy, or thioalkyl; S is sulfur; A is hydrogen, —(S)p—R1 or -MR2R3R4; Z is —SH, —S-MR5R6R7, —S—(S)p—R8, —NR9R10, —NR11COR12, —O—CO—R13, —NCO, or —COOR14; M is silicon or tin; N is nitrogen; O is oxygen; m is the number one, two or three; p is the number one, two, three, four or five; R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13 and R14 are the same or different, and are each, independently, selected from hydrogen (H), (C1-C16) alkyl, (C6-C16) aryl, (C7-C16) aralkyl or (C3-C30) tri(hydrocarbyl)silyl, and wherein the hydrocarbyl groups are each independently selected from (C1-C16) alkyl, (C6-C16) aryl, or