On December 5 1994 1994 Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam
For Rashaan Salaam, the 1994 Heisman ceremony was a classic dream sequence. “I remember sitting in the old Downtown Athletic Club and everything was kind of fuzzy, like it wasn’t real,” the Colorado running back said. “Everything was in slow motion. Then they called my name, and everything sped up. It was like, ‘Wow, you are him. You are the Heisman winner.’ Then I walked up there and it felt like my feet were in cement. I felt like I was moving so slowly.” Understandable that that moment would play out in surreal fashion for Salaam. Until then, the La Jolla, Calif., native had been a good-not-great running back, gaining just more than 1,000 career yards in his first two years at Colorado. And after turning pro following that ’94 season, his NFL career was similarly modest — he was a 1,000-yard rusher as a rookie in Chicago, but played in just 17 games over the remainder of his career. But in between, he did have the epic production spike of 1994. “They can’t take that away from me,” Salaam said of the Heisman. “No matter what else happened.” Salaam rushed for more than 2,000 yards to help the Buffaloes to an 11-1 season capped by a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame. At the time, 2,000 yards was the gold standard for college running backs seeking serious Heisman consideration. “As I got closer to 2,000 yards, it was almost like my teammates wanted me to win the Heisman more than I did,” Salaam said. “The offensive linemen, [quarterback] Kordell Stewart, it was amazing how much they started to pull for me to win the award. That’s what I remember most, the camaraderie of my teammates.”
— Pat Forde
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