Rashaan Salaam

Rashaan Iman Salaam (born October 8, 1974) is a former professional American football player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back for the University of Colorado at Boulder, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. A high school All-American running back from San Diego (La Jolla Country Day), Salaam's success at Colorado led to his selection as the Chicago Bears’ first-round draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.

Early years

Salaam attended the La Jolla Country Day School, where he played 8-man football and ran for over 100 yards in every game except for one. He was held under 100 yards against Christian High School, in an 11 man game. His team still won the game 16–13. Salaam was later inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

College career

As a junior, Salaam had one of the best individual seasons by a running back in college football history in 1994, rushing for a school-record 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns and leading Colorado to an 11-1 record, including a 41-24 win over Notre Dame in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl, and a No. 3 finish in the final Associated Press poll. The Buffaloes' only loss on the season was at the hands of Big Eight rival Nebraska, which would finish undefeated and No. 1 in both the AP and United Press International polls at year's end. Salaam had four consecutive 200-yard rushing games during the season,...
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