Being a Heisman Trophy winner is great. It makes you part of college football lore forever. Of course, it does not guarantee NFL success. Sometimes, that's kind of expected. Nobody thought Eric Crouch was going to become an NFL star after playing option quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
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Other times, though, an NFL future could have happened. Take, for example, Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam. His career leaves us to wonder what could have been, and his life is a reminder of the tragedy that can befall a football player.
Still, his legacy is not forgotten.
Early Life and Career
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Salaam was born in San Diego, California to former Cincinnati Bengals running back Teddy Washington, who changed his name to Sulton Salaam after converting to Islam. Though he played eight-on-eight football in high school, Salaam still attracted the attention of the University of Colorado Buffaloes, who signed him to play running back for them.
The Buffs running back played in 1992 and 1993, but when the 1994 college football season came around Salaam exploded onto the scene. He finished the season with 2,055 rushing yards, at the time making him only the fourth back to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Salaam also amassed 24 touchdowns en route to leading the Buffs to an 11-1 record and a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame.
Before that, though, Salaam took home the Heisman Trophy, edging out Penn State back Ki-Jana Carter. Salaam also took home the Doak Walker award and was a unanimous All-American.
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Carter got a measure of revenge in the 1995 NFL Draft, as he was taken first overall. However, Salaam was still a first-round pick, as the Chicago Bears took the former Colorado back 21st overall.
As a rookie, Salaam showed some promise, rushing for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns. On the other hand, he also lost nine fumbles. Nevertheless, the UPI named him the NFC Rookie of the Year. After this, though, Salaam's NFL career went downhill.
Salaam spent two more seasons with the Bears but continued to have issues with fumbles while also dealing with injuries. Prior to the 1998 season, Chicago tried to trade him to the Miami Dolphins, but the deal was nixed because Salaam failed a physical examination. In 1999, Salaam tried to catch on with the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns, but only saw action in two games with Cleveland.
In 2001, Salaam played in the original version of the XFL for the Memphis Maniax. He rushed for 528 yards before the league folded. The back tried to catch on with the NFL again in 2003, but he was cut by the 49ers. In 2004, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL but was suspended. This ended his professional career.
Rashaan Salaam's Death
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Frankly, Salaam was basically off the map as soon as the XFL folded, but for several years he was largely not heard of.
Occasionally an ESPN or Sports Illustrated would bring him up in a list about NFL busts or forgotten Heisman winners. Then, in 2016, we heard Salaam's name again in a sad context.
Salaam's body was found in a park in Boulder, Colorado. The Boulder police labeled Salaam's death a possible suicide. He was 42. It was later confirmed by the Boulder County coroner's office that Salaam died from a self-inflicted gunshot, as reported by the Denver Post. He had an elevated blood-alcohol content and had THC in his system indicating marijuana use.
After the former Heisman Trophy winner passed on, his family declined to allow his brain to be tested for CTE. As such, we don't know what brain trauma Salaam may have suffered in his career.
That day in 2016 felt like a long way from that day in New York when Salaam picked up the Heisman Trophy. It's possible that someday his 2,000-yard season gets the Buffaloes legend into the College Football Hall of Fame. Sadly, the former Bear won't be there to appreciate the moment.
