There will always be players who have fantastic college careers, deservedly win numerous accolades, and then flop once they get to the professional ranks.
This is especially true with Heisman trophy winners. Jason White, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Troy Smith, Danny Wuerffel, and Ron Dayne are all examples of Heisman Trophy winners who have gone on to the NFL only to be complete busts.
In fact, Troy Smith and Ron Dayne are the only two on that list that are still in the league.
Then there was Rashaan Salaam. Salaam literally came out of nowhere as a junior at the University of Colorado in 1994 to have one of the most prolific seasons running the football in college football history.
He was non-existent in 1992 and 1993, not on anyone's radar, not even Colorado's. But he emerged in 1994 as the starting tailback for a Buffalo team that was looking to continue their momentum following a victory in the Aloha bowl the year before.
He had it all. He had terrific speed, good size for someone as fast as he was, and a great sense of when to cut, when to follow his blockers, and how to slash through the whole, and his statistics showed it that season.
In a season that saw Colorado go 11-1 with their only loss coming to eventual national champion Nebraska, Salaam teamed with Kordell Stewart to form one of the most dangerous and exciting backfields in the entire country.
What most people remember about that season is the Hail Mary from Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook to beat Michigan as time expired.
What they should remember is one of the greatest individual seasons, and one of the greatest individual performances in any game in the annals of college football history.
For the season, Salaam ran for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns, good for 186.8 per game, and almost two touchdowns per game. He also averaged 213 all-purpose yards per game, and established himself as one of the most feared and versatile running backs in the Big Eight.
At one point during the season, the junior from La Jolla, California turned in four consecutive 200-yard rushing games, which still stands as a Colorado, and NCAA record to this day. But that was far from his most impressive performance.
The day where he really shined was October 1 of 1994 when the Buffaloes traveled to Austin, Texas to face the Longhorns, who would go on to finish the season 8-4.
According to the Austin-American Statesmen, reporting the day after the game, Salaam was received two intravenous injections before the game started just to cope with the heat. He was also suffering from cramps, bruised hip, and a constantly bruised, battered, and bloody nose.
As Suzanne Halliburton of the Statesmen put it, "He constantly went to the sideline with some sort of ache or pain."
Apparently, that didn't matter at all to Salaam who had one of the greatest individual performances by a running back in recent memory.
He set a school record with 362 total yards in the 34-31 win over the Longhorns, and although he only scored one touchdown in the game, he was an absolute terror all over the field.
The Buffaloes finished that season in the Fiesta Bowl against a Lou Holtz coached Notre Dame team that wasn't favored but was a trendy upset pick considering Colorado's relative lack of respect after it's rise from anonymity.
Although Stewart won the game MVP and for good reason, the Fighting Irish routinely stacked eight and nine guys into the box to stop Salaam from running the football.
The move not only added the focus on Salaam but also forced Colorado to switch their offense up and use three wide receivers and one tight end, instead of two and two, which freed Stewart and consequently limited Salaam.
The "limited" Salaam only ran for 83 yards on 27 carries and three short touchdowns as the Buffaloes stomped the Fighting Irish 41-24.
Pro Career:
Salaam announced after the game that although he was still an unknown commodity in NFL circles, he would fore-go his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
He was selected 21st overall by the Chicago Bears, and the Bears’ fans had high hopes for him. Coach Dave Wannstedt gave him high praise, and he immediately won the starting job out of camp.
He had an up and down rookie campaign. He set a rookie record for the Bears in 1995 with 1074 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
However, he also fumbled the ball a startling nine times, a number that would eventually lead to his undoing.
Along with his fumbling issues, his rapid decline in the NFL was expedited by nagging foot and groin injuries and a certain affinity, or as he later admitted "addiction" to marijuana.
The next season Salaam started just six games, garnering only 143 carries and rushing for 496 yards and three touchdowns. He fumbled three times that season, and soon Bears’ fans began calling for his ouster.
In 1997, he started three games, ran for 117 yards and no touchdowns, and didn't resurface again until 1999 with Cleveland when he tried to make a comeback, and it was clear his problems were far from over.
He didn't give up on football after the Browns cut him, and unfortunately, all he managed to do in the coming years was sully his reputation with poor performances with the Packers, Raiders, 49ers, and then in the XFL and CFL.
He has since retired and nobody has heard from him save a quick appearance at the 2005 Heisman Trophy Presentation. He took a photo with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush and then disappeared again.
According to an article in the Miami Herald from 2005, Salaam's most recent work has been promoting Martial Arts fights in China...go figure. Since then not much has been posted about him and he seems to have disappeared.
But for one year, he was the best and baddest running back in all of college football.
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3 months ago
Fumbling and his upright running style really hurt him in the NFL. He just wasn't strong enough to absorb the hits that came with that running style. That's what scares me the most watching AP today. Will he be able to hold up over a career running upright into contact? I also remember WR Charles Johnson on that Colorado team, who went on to play for the Steelers. We are talking a tremendously talented college offense with Kordell at qb, Salaam at rb and Johnson at wr.
3 months ago
Nice article; Bad Flashbacks...
3 months ago
Nice job...someday, he'll be elected into the XFL Hall of Fame.
3 months ago
Jason White never really had an NFL career, he was on the Titans practice squad, and thats about it. His knees couldnt hold up. And Troy Smith is in his 2nd year, it is too early to say whether or not he is a bust. He's only started 2 games.
3 months ago
As a life long Buffaloes fan I thank you for an excellent article that reminded me of one of the best teams we have ever feilded. Rashaan Salaam was an okay running back playing on a great team with an amazing offensive line. Kordell Stewart deserves credit as well for keeping defenses honest by being a dangerous passer and runner. There must have been at least ten other running backs in college football that year who would have broke 2000 with Salaam's supporting cast.
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