Rashaan Salaam
Encyclopedia
Rashaan Iman Salaam 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
.
, 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.
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, his best effort coming against Texas, when he set a school record with 362 yards total offense in a 34-31 Colorado win in Austin. He was a unanimous all-American and became the school's first Heisman Trophy winner in December, besting runner-up Ki-Jana Carter
of Penn State by 842 points. Kerry Collins of Penn State finished 3rd, likely splitting the Penn State teammates votes, and leaving 1st place to Salaam. Salaam left school early and entered the 1995 NFL Draft.
, the highly touted Salaam did not meet the high expectations. As a rookie, he rushed for over 1,000 yards (a Chicago Bears
rookie record until 2001 when it was broken by Anthony Thomas
) and scored 10 touchdowns. But problems with injuries and fumbles led him to spend only three years with the Bears, ending with the 1997
season. Salaam spent 1999
with the Cleveland Browns
and the Green Bay Packers
, but only played in two games for the Browns that year.
Salaam briefly played in the XFL
for the Memphis Maniax
, but injury cut his season short and the league folded after one season. He was the 4th most prolific rusher in the league with 528 yards.
After his stint with the Maniax, he tried out for the Detroit Lions
, but did not make the team.
Salaam launched what appeared to be a final attempt at an NFL career in 2002
, beginning with a much publicized training at the Cris Carter
Speed School. He was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers
in 2003
but in August 2003, Salaam was subsequently let go by the 49ers in the second-to-last round of cuts. Despite receiving accolades from then 49ers head coach Dennis Erickson
, Salaam was never signed by another NFL team.
Salaam was signed by the Toronto Argonauts
of the CFL
on February 20, 2004. He was then suspended by the Argos in May, effectively ending his career there.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. A high school All-American running back from San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
(La Jolla Country Day
La Jolla Country Day School
La Jolla Country Day School is a highly selective private school in La Jolla, a community of San Diego, California. It was founded as the Balmer School by Louise C. Balmer in 1926. The school contains a lower school , a middle school , and an upper school...
), Salaam's success at Colorado led to his selection as the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
’ first-round draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
.
Early years
Salaam attended the La Jolla Country Day SchoolLa Jolla Country Day School
La Jolla Country Day School is a highly selective private school in La Jolla, a community of San Diego, California. It was founded as the Balmer School by Louise C. Balmer in 1926. The school contains a lower school , a middle school , and an upper 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
Ki-Jana Carter
Kenneth Leonard "Ki-Jana" Carter is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and later the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. His nickname, "Ki-Jana", is from a character in the movie Shaft in Africa and Carter has...
of Penn State by 842 points. Kerry Collins of Penn State finished 3rd, likely splitting the Penn State teammates votes, and leaving 1st place to Salaam. Salaam left school early and entered the 1995 NFL Draft.
Pro football career
In the NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, the highly touted Salaam did not meet the high expectations. As a rookie, he rushed for over 1,000 yards (a Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
rookie record until 2001 when it was broken by Anthony Thomas
Anthony Thomas (American football)
Anthony Jermaine Thomas is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Thomas was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
) and scored 10 touchdowns. But problems with injuries and fumbles led him to spend only three years with the Bears, ending with the 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
season. Salaam spent 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, but only played in two games for the Browns that year.
Salaam briefly played in the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
for the Memphis Maniax
Memphis Maniax
The Memphis Maniax was an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was part of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States...
, but injury cut his season short and the league folded after one season. He was the 4th most prolific rusher in the league with 528 yards.
After his stint with the Maniax, he tried out for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, but did not make the team.
Salaam launched what appeared to be a final attempt at an NFL career in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, beginning with a much publicized training at the Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
Speed School. He was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
but in August 2003, Salaam was subsequently let go by the 49ers in the second-to-last round of cuts. Despite receiving accolades from then 49ers head coach Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
, Salaam was never signed by another NFL team.
Salaam was signed by the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on February 20, 2004. He was then suspended by the Argos in May, effectively ending his career there.