Rashaan Salaam's No. 19 to Be Retired by Colorado Buffaloes

Colorado will retire No. 19 following the season to honor running back Rashaan Salaam, the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner for the Buffaloes. The school announced the news Friday, per David Plati of the team's official site.

Salaam took his own life in December 2016 at 42 years old.

The San Diego native hardly saw the field in his first season with the Buffaloes and split time with Lamont Warren as a sophomore, but he exploded in 1994 for a school-record 2,055 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. He also added 294 receiving yards while leading Colorado to an 11-1 record.

The squad, which also featured Kordell Stewart, won the Fiesta Bowl over Notre Dame and finished third in the Associated Press poll.

The running back easily finished first in the Heisman voting, beating out the Penn State duo of Kerry Collins and Ki-Jana Carter as well as Steve McNair of Alcorn State.

Unfortunately, Salaam's NFL career wasn't quite as successful. The former first-round pick lasted only five seasons in the league, tallying 1,684 rushing yards in his professional career, not counting a brief stint in the XFL.

Still, his career at Colorado was worthy of distinction and the school will posthumously honor the talented running back. Although Michael Adkins II currently wears No. 19 for the Buffaloes, the number will be retired after the season.