Former Colorado Buffaloes football great Rashaan Salaam was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. It was an emotional night for many in attendance including his mother, Khalada Salaam-Alaji, who accepted the honor.
The 1994 Heisman Trophy winning running back left Boulder with 3,057 yards and 33 touchdowns during his collegiate career. After opting to leaving Boulder early, Salaam was a first round selection (21st overall) by the Chicago Bears in the 1995 NFL Draft, becoming the first rookie to surpass the 1,000-yard mark since Beattie Feathers accomplished the feat 61 years prior in 1934.
Salaam, 42, took his own life in a Boulder park on December 5, 2016. According to CU’s Dave Plati, Rashaan’s mother shared the private final words that her son left behind before departing.
The University of Colorado retired Salaam’s iconic No. 19 in a ceremony last year. He joined Byron “Whizzer” White, Joe Romig, and Bobby Anderson as the fourth Buffs player to be enshrined at Folsom Field. We will always remember Rashaan.
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