Salaam’s career honored by CU
Jersey of ex-star, who took his life on Dec. 5, is retired
BOULDER» Years ago, former Colorado football star Rashaan Salaam was standing on the sideline at a game at Folsom Field when he was asked to leave by a security guard who had good intentions but simply didn’t recognize him.
“One of his more painful moments,” former teammate Chad Brown recalled last week. “For a guy who was a very sensitive person, that struck him deeply.”
The 1994 Heisman Trophy winner and one of the greatest players to ever wear a CU uniform, Salaam sometimes struggled with a perceived lack of recognition from the school.
On Saturday, the late Salaam, who took his own life on Dec. 5, was given the recognition he deserved at Folsom Field, as CU retired the No. 19 jersey he wore during his career in Boulder, from 1992-94.
CU held a ceremony after the first quarter, during which Salaam’s No. 19 was unveiled on the façade of the east side of Folsom Field.
Salaam joins Bobby Anderson (No. 11, 1967-69), Joe Romig (No. 67, 1959-61) and Byron White (No. 24, 1936-37) as the only players to have their numbers retired by CU. It’s the first time in 47 years that CU has retired a number in football.
“It’s an honor for him to be able to get his jersey hanged; he deserves it,” current CU running back Phillip Lindsay said. “He’s our only Heisman winner, and he did a lot for this program while he was here.”
Salaam’s family and friends, including his parents, attended the ceremony. Anderson, Romig and the family of White were all on hand, as well. Legendary CU head coach Bill Mccartney, who coached Salaam, was also on hand for the ceremony, along with several former CU players.
Salaam was the only player in program history to win the Heisman Trophy, when he rushed for a program-record 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns in 1994. He finished with 3,057 yards and 33 touchdowns in his career.
“It’s well deserved, obviously,” Brown said. “I thought his Heisman Trophy was kind of the culmination of that era, where we gained some prominence on the field and with that comes national awards. For Rashaan to win the top player in college football spoke a lot about his season and himself as a player, but also where our program was at that time and the type of respect we had nationally.”
Current CU players walk by Salaam’s Heisman Trophy nearly every day and recognize the impact he has had on the program.
“It’s a really big deal,” CU senior captain George Frazier said. “He’s the one guy that’s won a Heisman for us. Knowing his history and knowing everything that he’s done for CU, it means a lot.”