RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day 30: Rashaan Salaam runs to the Heisman (1994)
No. 19 forever.
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Welcome to day 30 of Running Back Respect Month! Yesterday, Ricky Williams and Michael Perry gave us a classic running back duel. Here's where we're at today, and how the rest of the month looks:
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Today: Rashaan Salaam vs. Iowa State (1994)
RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day 30: Rashaan Salaam runs to the Heisman (1994)
Colorado had two goals heading into their final regular season game of 1994:
1) Make sure running back Rashaan Salaam ran for at least 204 yards.
2) Handle business against lowly 0-9-1 Iowa State to secure a Fiesta Bowl bid.
It's not by mistake that I listed Salaam's potential personal achievements ahead of winning the game. The 204 yards were what he needed to become the fourth player in Division I history to run for 2,000 in a single season. Hitting 2K meant not only joining that exclusive class, but essentially earning a golden ticket to the Heisman Trophy. All three players who reached that mountaintop before Salaam (USC's Marcus Allen in 1981, Nebraska's Mike Rozier in 1983, and Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in 1988) won the award in landslides. Everyone in the Colorado program knew what needed to be done that day, and didn't shy away from it - right down to passing out thousands of '2,000' signs to fans when they entered Folsom Field:
The game itself was closer to start the fourth quarter (20-13) than they would've liked, but the Buffs achieved both goals in style by the end. Salaam ripped off 259 yards and 2 TD in a 41-20 win, breaking the 2,000-yard barrier, while clinching the program's first-ever Heisman Trophy:
What made the day so special was that Salaam didn't cross 2,000 on just any average run. As Colorado began their second series of the fourth quarter, both scoreboards –as they'd done all game– showed that he was just 26 yards away. Everyone in the stadium knew that this was the moment. After a 14-yard Salaam gain to start the drive, it got so loud as quarterback Kordell Stewart walked under center for the next play that he had to quiet the crowd. Ten seconds and 67 yards later, the whole Colorado team piled on Salaam in the north endzone as Folsom went berserk:
I was actually at this game, sitting 20 rows up in front of the endzone Salaam got mobbed in. I was only four –so I can't say I remember everything from it– but I do remember the chaos of Salaam scoring that TD. I also remember fans being so charged up that they tore the goalposts down after the game, then tried to literally throw them out of the stadium:
