Salaam Runs Away With Heisman

As Rashaan Salaam was going through a long list of “thank yous” Saturday, he got to Rick Wood and decided a little more was needed.

“We’ve come a long way,” he told his high school football coach.

The journey was from a Southeast San Diego neighborhood to La Jolla Country Day School to Colorado to New York. From a private school where he was sent against his wishes to a state university that he wasn’t sure he wanted to attend.

From eight-man football to the Big Eight to the Heisman Trophy.

After starting the season as a Heisman candidate only in the minds of people who published the Colorado media guide, Salaam, a junior tailback, became the Buffaloes’ first winner of the award at the New York Downtown Athletic Club.

Now the question is whether Salaam will take the next step, to the NFL draft, this spring or try to duplicate the exploits of Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman winner.

At midseason, Salaam said he didn’t want the Heisman because it would bring pressure to leave school early. But Thursday in New York, he said: “I want it now.”

He has it and said his decision is made, that he will announce it on Jan. 6, after the Fiesta Bowl game between Colorado and Notre Dame.

Will he or won’t he?

“I’m not sure, but just winning the Heisman adds to his value,” Wood said. “It’s instant endorsements, instant money. It would be hard not to go.”

The Heisman voting wasn’t close.

Salaam received 1,743 points from among 920 voters--870 members of the media and the 50 living Heisman winners--based on three points for first place, two for second and one for third on their ballots.

Penn State’s Ki-Jana Carter was a distant second, with 901 points. Steve McNair, Alcorn State’s quarterback, was third with 655 points.

Salaam, who ran for 2,055 yards, led all six regions polled.

He was the first running back to get the award since Barry Sanders in 1988 and completes a sweep. The three other backs to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season--Sanders, USC’s Marcus Allen and Nebraska’s Mike Rozier--won the Heisman.

Salaam rushed for 24 touchdowns in a season in which he was held scoreless only once--by Oklahoma State--and below 100 yards only by Wisconsin, in a game in which he scored four times.

It was Colorado’s second game of the season and the 55-17 victory provided a nationally televised theater in which Salaam’s bid for the Heisman began to take shape.

Wisconsin, Salaam said, “played real tough defense. I had 25 carries for 86 yards in that game, but I couldn’t get the home run. I just had to pound it up in there.”

After a 34-31 victory over Texas in which he rushed for 317 yards in 35 carries, it seemed everybody wanted to know about Rashaan Salaam.

They didn’t get much help from him.

“I haven’t learned to like (the attention), but I’ve learned to deal with it. You’ve got to go with the flow,” he said in what, for the shy Salaam, is a major address.

Wood, to make certain Salaam wasn’t overlooked at La Jolla Country Day, put together a highlight tape.

Salaam wanted to go to California, but when Bruce Snyder left as coach to go to Arizona State, Colorado moved up in the pecking order. Salaam signed with the Buffaloes, then spent a year wondering why.

After his freshman season, his mother, Khalada, told him to drop the idea of transferring. As a sophomore he split time with Lamont Warren. When Warren decided to leave Colorado early for the NFL, the road was open for Salaam.

“As soon as Lamont announced he was leaving, you could see the change in Rashaan,” Colorado Coach Bill McCartney said.

That change resulted in his winning college football’s highest award, and among Salaam’s thank yous Saturday was one to “Coach Mac, for just keeping the faith in me when I was slipping.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Heisman Voting

Player, School 1st 2nd 3rd Total Rashaan Salaam, Colorado 400 229 85 1,743 Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State 115 205 146 901 Steve McNair, Alcorn State 111 85 152 655 Kerry Collins, Penn State 101 117 102 639 Jay Barker, Alabama 36 58 71 295 Warren Sapp, Miami 17 37 67 192 Eric Zeier, Georgia 7 15 32 83 Lawrence Phillips, Nebraska 1 8 21 40 Napoleon Kaufman, Washington 3 3 12 27 Zach Wiegert, Nebraska 1 7 10 27

Note--First place, 3 points; second place, 2; third place, 1