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Rashaan Salaam.
He was supposed to be the next great one. Instead, he ended up being a tragedy. Rashaan Salaam was perhaps the most physically gifted back the Bears had seen in Chicago since Gale Sayers. He was 6’1, 225lbs, he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.5 seconds. He set Bears rookie records. He was supposed to be “next”. We all know how the story ended for him, but I’m going to take this time to only focus on his pro career. What went great, what didn’t, and what we missed out on.
Salaam attended the University of Colorado during the waning days of their late 80’s and early 90’s era of greatness under coach Bill McCartney. He would play sparingly as a true freshman in 1992 gaining 158 yards on 27 attempts. His sophomore season saw a rise in his production as he gained over 800 yards and scored 8 touchdowns behind future NFL back Lamont Warren. Salaam’s junior season in 1994 was one for the ages. Alongside quarterback Kordell Stewart, Salaam would lead the Buffaloes to the Fiesta Bowl and an end of season #3 ranking. Salaam, en route to winning the Heisman trophy, ran nearly 300 times for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns. Big 8 defenses had no answer for him. Salaam may have been overshadowed that season by one of the most famous plays in College Football history(the hailmary from Stewart to Michael Johnson to beat Michigan) but the Buffaloes were driven by Salaam.
Entering the NFL draft Salaam was thought to be a sure fire Top 10 pick, however he showed up at the combine slightly out of shape and his stock slid. He worked out for the Bears in March after getting into better shape and the Bears rightfully fell in love with the 20 year old from Colorado who was built like a tank and ran like a deer. Salaam walked onto a Bears team thought to be on the rise. The 1994 Bears had gone 9-7 with a suffocating defense while cobbling it together on offense for most of the season behind a middling Steve Walsh, and a steady but not overly effective Lewis Tillman at running back. In 1995 the Bears were expected to take the next step by adding Salaam to a talented backfield that already included 1994 draft pick “Ultra Back” Raymont Harris, getting quarterback Erik Kramer back from injury, having 1993 1st rounder Curtis Conway step forward, and 1994 free agent wide receiver acquisition Jeff Graham continue to produce at a high level. Harris would break his collarbone two plays into the 1995 season, but aside from that the Bears offense went completely to plan in 1995.
Erik Kramer exploded with the best season in modern Bears quarterbacking history, Graham and Conway both went for over 1,000 yards, but the real revelation was Salaam. After waiting in the wings until the season’s 5th week to start Salaam burst onto the scene in the Bears 5th game against Carolina with 28 carries for 105 yards. The job was his from then on. By the end of the season Salaam had run nearly 300 times for 1,074 yards, breaking Beattie Feather’s 61-year-old team record for rushing yards by a rookie, and scoring 10 touchdowns. Salaam did have fumbling issues throughout the season(9 fumbles) but everyone in Chicago was willing to overlook them as a 20 year old adjusting to the physicality of the pro game as he produced at a high level. The Bears appeared to be building an offensive juggernaut in Chicago and Salaam looked to be the future center piece of it. The 1995 Bears went 9-7 due in large part to a defense that had a terrible season out of nowhere, but the offense looked like a Super Bowl worthy unit and the team was sure it could right the defense for the 1996 season. As most things went with the Bears during that era…it was not to be.
Over his next two years in Chicago Salaam ran the ball only 174 times for 608 yards and 3 TD’s. Injuries to his knee and ankle, a broken leg in 1997, as well as issues with marijuana abuse lead to Salaam never attaining the same heights once expected of him. While 1995 was his only great season, during his last two with the Bears Salaam gave two more brief flashes of his brilliance and “what could have been.” In 1996 at home against the Rams he ran 19 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns and in the second game of the 1997 season ran 13 times for 64 yards before breaking his leg the next week against Detroit. Salaam would only carry the ball in the NFL three more times in his career. Two attempts the next week against Detroit and one carry in 1999 for the expansion Browns.
Salaam was traded to Miami in 1998 but the trade was rescinded when Salaam failed a physical. The Bears released him and he spent 1998 out of football until he caught on with the Browns in 1999. He played in only two games for the Browns before being released and signing with Green Bay for the remainder of the season. He was cut by the Raiders in 2000 during training camp.
Salaam tried to latch on with the Memphis Maniax of the XFL in 2001, and while leading the team in rushing, injuries cut short that season for him as well. He spent the 2003 preseason with the San Francisco 49ers before being cut, and in 2004 spent the preseason with the Toronto Argonauts but was suspended for failing a drug test and never saw the field in Canada.
We all know how it ended for Salaam. He passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 42. Alone. In a park in Boulder, Colorado. He was legally drunk at the time and he had THC in his system. A tragic ending for an exceptional talent.
For a player that spent nearly 10 years chasing a professional football career, his one year of brilliance was so short. For those who didn’t get to see him play the best I can describe him as is a more talented Matt Forte. The running style, the way the Bears used him, and his general size was all of that. Scary thing is, Salaam had more natural ability. As a fan of the Bears in 1995 the one play that I always recall the Bears running with him was the toss sweep, Salaam was incredibly adept at being able find a crease, cut up the field, and slice through defenses. Salaam ended up being the tragic “what if” for those mid 1990’s Bears. The Bears seemed to be rising, led by Salaam, in 1995 but everything fell apart over the next two years and the Bears weren’t really relevant again in a consistent way until the mid to late 2000’s.
In the end it was a sad story but for fans old enough to remember Salaam and his ability he was a gift to watch.
What are all of your memories of Rashaan Salaam?
College: Colorado
Drafted: 1995; Round 1, Pick 21 overall.
NFL Career: Chicago Bears 1995-1997
Cleveland Browns 1999
Green Bay Packers 1999
Memphis Maniacs(XFL) 2001
San Francisco 49ers 2003
Toronto Argonauts 2004
Videos
College Highlights
Pro Highlights
1995 Bears Yearbook
1995 vs Eagles: Full game if you go Clip by clip. Salaam goes 30 carries 120 yards in this game.(2 fumbles on the first drive....)
He was supposed to be the next great one. Instead, he ended up being a tragedy. Rashaan Salaam was perhaps the most physically gifted back the Bears had seen in Chicago since Gale Sayers. He was 6’1, 225lbs, he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.5 seconds. He set Bears rookie records. He was supposed to be “next”. We all know how the story ended for him, but I’m going to take this time to only focus on his pro career. What went great, what didn’t, and what we missed out on.
Salaam attended the University of Colorado during the waning days of their late 80’s and early 90’s era of greatness under coach Bill McCartney. He would play sparingly as a true freshman in 1992 gaining 158 yards on 27 attempts. His sophomore season saw a rise in his production as he gained over 800 yards and scored 8 touchdowns behind future NFL back Lamont Warren. Salaam’s junior season in 1994 was one for the ages. Alongside quarterback Kordell Stewart, Salaam would lead the Buffaloes to the Fiesta Bowl and an end of season #3 ranking. Salaam, en route to winning the Heisman trophy, ran nearly 300 times for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns. Big 8 defenses had no answer for him. Salaam may have been overshadowed that season by one of the most famous plays in College Football history(the hailmary from Stewart to Michael Johnson to beat Michigan) but the Buffaloes were driven by Salaam.
Entering the NFL draft Salaam was thought to be a sure fire Top 10 pick, however he showed up at the combine slightly out of shape and his stock slid. He worked out for the Bears in March after getting into better shape and the Bears rightfully fell in love with the 20 year old from Colorado who was built like a tank and ran like a deer. Salaam walked onto a Bears team thought to be on the rise. The 1994 Bears had gone 9-7 with a suffocating defense while cobbling it together on offense for most of the season behind a middling Steve Walsh, and a steady but not overly effective Lewis Tillman at running back. In 1995 the Bears were expected to take the next step by adding Salaam to a talented backfield that already included 1994 draft pick “Ultra Back” Raymont Harris, getting quarterback Erik Kramer back from injury, having 1993 1st rounder Curtis Conway step forward, and 1994 free agent wide receiver acquisition Jeff Graham continue to produce at a high level. Harris would break his collarbone two plays into the 1995 season, but aside from that the Bears offense went completely to plan in 1995.
Erik Kramer exploded with the best season in modern Bears quarterbacking history, Graham and Conway both went for over 1,000 yards, but the real revelation was Salaam. After waiting in the wings until the season’s 5th week to start Salaam burst onto the scene in the Bears 5th game against Carolina with 28 carries for 105 yards. The job was his from then on. By the end of the season Salaam had run nearly 300 times for 1,074 yards, breaking Beattie Feather’s 61-year-old team record for rushing yards by a rookie, and scoring 10 touchdowns. Salaam did have fumbling issues throughout the season(9 fumbles) but everyone in Chicago was willing to overlook them as a 20 year old adjusting to the physicality of the pro game as he produced at a high level. The Bears appeared to be building an offensive juggernaut in Chicago and Salaam looked to be the future center piece of it. The 1995 Bears went 9-7 due in large part to a defense that had a terrible season out of nowhere, but the offense looked like a Super Bowl worthy unit and the team was sure it could right the defense for the 1996 season. As most things went with the Bears during that era…it was not to be.
Over his next two years in Chicago Salaam ran the ball only 174 times for 608 yards and 3 TD’s. Injuries to his knee and ankle, a broken leg in 1997, as well as issues with marijuana abuse lead to Salaam never attaining the same heights once expected of him. While 1995 was his only great season, during his last two with the Bears Salaam gave two more brief flashes of his brilliance and “what could have been.” In 1996 at home against the Rams he ran 19 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns and in the second game of the 1997 season ran 13 times for 64 yards before breaking his leg the next week against Detroit. Salaam would only carry the ball in the NFL three more times in his career. Two attempts the next week against Detroit and one carry in 1999 for the expansion Browns.
Salaam was traded to Miami in 1998 but the trade was rescinded when Salaam failed a physical. The Bears released him and he spent 1998 out of football until he caught on with the Browns in 1999. He played in only two games for the Browns before being released and signing with Green Bay for the remainder of the season. He was cut by the Raiders in 2000 during training camp.
Salaam tried to latch on with the Memphis Maniax of the XFL in 2001, and while leading the team in rushing, injuries cut short that season for him as well. He spent the 2003 preseason with the San Francisco 49ers before being cut, and in 2004 spent the preseason with the Toronto Argonauts but was suspended for failing a drug test and never saw the field in Canada.
We all know how it ended for Salaam. He passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 42. Alone. In a park in Boulder, Colorado. He was legally drunk at the time and he had THC in his system. A tragic ending for an exceptional talent.
For a player that spent nearly 10 years chasing a professional football career, his one year of brilliance was so short. For those who didn’t get to see him play the best I can describe him as is a more talented Matt Forte. The running style, the way the Bears used him, and his general size was all of that. Scary thing is, Salaam had more natural ability. As a fan of the Bears in 1995 the one play that I always recall the Bears running with him was the toss sweep, Salaam was incredibly adept at being able find a crease, cut up the field, and slice through defenses. Salaam ended up being the tragic “what if” for those mid 1990’s Bears. The Bears seemed to be rising, led by Salaam, in 1995 but everything fell apart over the next two years and the Bears weren’t really relevant again in a consistent way until the mid to late 2000’s.
In the end it was a sad story but for fans old enough to remember Salaam and his ability he was a gift to watch.
What are all of your memories of Rashaan Salaam?
College: Colorado
Drafted: 1995; Round 1, Pick 21 overall.
NFL Career: Chicago Bears 1995-1997
Cleveland Browns 1999
Green Bay Packers 1999
Memphis Maniacs(XFL) 2001
San Francisco 49ers 2003
Toronto Argonauts 2004
Videos
College Highlights
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