Rashaan Salaam, who won the Heisman Award in 1994, has passed away, children representative said Wednesday.

He was 42.

Salaam's body was discovered in a vehicle automobile parking space at Eben G. Excellent Recreation area and 911 was known as just before 9 p.m. on Thursday, according to Boulder Cops representative Shannon Cordingly. The park is less than two kilometers from Folsom Area, where Salaam appeared as a operating returning for the School of Colorado.

Cordingly said there were no symptoms of nasty perform and an autopsy to find the cause of loss of life will conducted by the Boulder Nation Coroner's Workplace. Cops advised Salaam's mom, Khalada, they suspicious choosing suicide after discovering a observe. She advised USA Nowadays Activities, "They said they discovered a observe and would discuss that with us when we get there."

"The Fan Close relatives has missing a superb youngster and a excellent Fan today," Colorado fitness home John Henry said Wednesday. "We are heartbroken for Rashaan and his family, and our ideas and wishes are with them at this extremely tough time."

The Chicago, illinois Holds, who selected Salaam in the first circular (No. 21 overall) of the 1995 set up, tweeted, "Our ideas are with his family."

Denver Broncos home of gamer employees He Russell, who was Salaam's group mate at Colorado from 1992 to '94, released this statement:

"Rashaan was as powerful off the area as he was hanging around as a gamer. He was a increasingly faithful buddy, someone who was always in your and had the returning. He was the supreme group mate and helpful of everyone in his locker space. If there was ever a guy who was going to get a individual nasty to protect someone on his group, Rashaan was that guy."

"Rashaan was the supreme Buffalo grass and was so extremely pleased to be known as a 'Colorado Buffalo grass.' We were part of the same hiring category, what we known as 'nine deuce,' the Type of 1992. On the area, Rashaan was the phrase successful. It was important to him. He used challenging, he conducted challenging and he made our groups better. Rashaan and I giggled a lot after methods because we had so many fights and fights. Even when we last saw each other a few decades ago at the CU Area of Popularity introduction, we still distributed those excellent remembrances and had a lot of fun from our time together at Colorado.

"My center goes out to Rashaan's mom and his family. They have a lot to be satisfied with with the person that Rashaan was, the way he handled people and the buddy he was to everyone he came across. He will be skipped by so many, and I increase my inner sympathies to Rashaan's many family and buddies."

Salaam won the Heisman Award in 1994, a season in which the Buffaloes completed No. 3 in the last Associated Media study. He hurried for 2,055 and 24 touchdowns that season and also won the Wally Camping and Doak Master prizes.

During his novice season, he became the newest gamer in NFL record to hurry for 1,000 metres. He was 21 decades, 77 times old. He hurried for 1,074 and 10 touchdowns that season.

Salaam was affected by accidents and fumbles (he missing 14 in 31 activities for the Bears). He recognized in 1999 that weed use provided to his issues in Chicago, illinois. "It probably had me out there indifferent instead of going out there 100 %," he advised ESPN in an meeting then.

"Everybody believes getting high is awesome, you can let it go when you want to let it go," he said. "But it's just as effective as drugs."

Salaam split his leg in the third activity of the 1997 season, after choosing two expensive fumbles, and said that damage improved his habit.

Salaam advised ESPN he had advised the Holds about his issue beginning in 1998 and joined a recovery system, but the Holds later cut him, and he was out of soccer for a season.

He finalized as a free broker with the Concord Raiders in 1999, but he was cut. He arrived in Cleveland later that season and conducted two activities for the Brown colours. He also was part of the Natural Bay Packers' exercise group.

Salaam also temporarily conducted for the XFL Memphis Maniax in 2001.

Salaam released a return effort in 2002 and was finalized by the San Francisco 49ers in 2003, but he was published before the season. He was finalized by the CFL's Greater Argonauts in Feb 2004 but was revoked in May, finishing his expert profession.