CU Buffaloes great, Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam dies at 42

Former Colorado Buffaloes running back and 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam has died.

Salaam, 42, was found at Boulder-area park Monday night, and Boulder police are investigating the death but said there were no signs of foul play.

“The Buff Family has lost an outstanding young man and a great Buff today,” CU athletic director Rick George said in a release from the university. “We are heartbroken for Rashaan and his family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this very difficult time.”

A CU Athletic Hall of Famer, Salaam was among the best to ever suit up for the black and gold. In 1994, he rushed for a single-season school record 2,055 yards on his way to a unanimous first-team All-American selection, a Walter Camp Trophy (given to the national college football player of the year), and a Heisman Trophy.

At the time, Salaam was only the fourth player in college football history to go over the 2,000-yard mark in a season, earning him the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back as well.

Salaam shined among a bevy of future NFL players among the 1994 Buffs squad, including quarterback Kordell Stewart and wide receiver Michael Westbrook.

Turning pro after his junior season, Salaam became a first-round pick (21st overall) for the Chicago Bears in the 1995 NFL Draft, where he would play for three seasons. In 1995, he earned NFC Rookie of the Year honors, rushing for 1,075 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Salaam kicked around the league, playing for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers and, lastly in 2003, the San Francisco 49ers.

The news of Salaam’s death stunned the CU community on the whole, including sports information director David Plati, who had become close with the star running back over the years.

“I am speechless,” Plati said Tuesday in a news release. “I’ve stayed in constant touch with Rashaan since he left CU. You develop a special bond with players you escort to the Heisman ceremonies — Darian Hagan, Eric Bieniemy, Rashaan. It’s hard to explain but when you go through that weekend of events, your relationship with them is taken up a notch. We’re minus one true Buffalo today.”

The Boulder County Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy, and the cause and manner of death are pending further investigation.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.