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Rashaan Salaam, former Heisman winner and NFL first rounder, found dead in park – USA TODAY

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Former college football star was found dead in a park in Boulder, Colo.
USA TODAY Sports

Rashaan Salaam, winner of the 1994 Heisman Trophy and a first-round NFL draft pick in 1995, was found dead shortly before 9 p.m. Monday night at a park in Boulder, Colo., a Boulder police spokeswoman said.

His mother, Khalada, told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday that police said they suspect it’s a suicide after finding a note.

“They said they found a note and would share that with us when we get there,” Salaam’s mother said.

The police spokeswoman said the cause of death is still under investigation. She said there is no indication of foul play and no threat to the community. A 911 call Monday night reported a body found in Eben G. Fine Park in Boulder, later identified as Salaam, 42, who starred at running back for the University of Colorado.

“It’s just a big trip. That’s all I can say,” Salaam’s mother said. “We just found out this morning, and we’re going to Colorado to take care of him.”

She said the family hopes to bury him in Boulder because “he liked it there and was successful there, and he liked the people there.”

Salaam, who is from San Diego, led Colorado to one of the most charmed football seasons in its history in 1994, when he rushed for 2,055 yards and helped the team finish No. 3 nationally with an 11-1 record. He was beloved by the CU community and was among many CU alumni who took special pride this year in the football program’s revival as winners of the Pac-12 Conference South Division.

“CU starting winning this year, too,” Salaam’s mother said. “That was amazing.”

The Chicago Bears selected Salaam in the first round of the NFL draft in 1995. He rushed for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie season, but he soon was slowed by injuries and his production fell off after that. He was out of the league a few years later.

The last post on his Facebook page dated Nov. 27 includes a video of Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick singing the song “That’s what friends are for.”

In the post, Salaam noted he was “feeling joyful” and told people to “keep smiling.”

Followers since have posted condolences underneath it.

News of his death shook the CU community Tuesday as many remembered Salaam’s slicing runs in 1994 on a team that might be one of the greatest not to win a national championship. It included standout quarterback Kordell Stewart and star receiver Michael Westbrook, who combined for a legendary Hail Mary pass that season to beat Michigan as time expired. It also featured a stellar offensive line that Salaam often credited for his success.

Salaam scored a school-record 24 touchdowns that season and rumbled off a string of nine straight 100-yard games. He rushed for 317 yards in a 34-31 win at Texas a week after the miracle win in Michigan.

“He had a happy heart,” former Colorado coach Bill McCartney said in a statement on the CU athletics website. “I loved being around him. He didn’t take himself too seriously, and he always credited those around him, especially his offensive line. What I liked about him is that he had a sparkle in his eye. He was upbeat and positive.”

Salaam turned pro after that magic ’94 season, his junior year. He spent three seasons in Chicago, going a long way in a short time after leaving La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego, where he played eight-man football. After football, he eventually returned to Colorado, where he will always be revered as the great No. 19.

“This is a sad day for the entire university community as we mourn Rashaan’s death,” CU Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano said in a statement on the CU website. “Rashaan will be remembered as one of the greatest football players to ever wear a Buffs uniform, and his 1994 Heisman Trophy brought great prestige and honor to the university. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer on Twitter @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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