# Rashaan Salaam, Former Heisman Winner and NFL First Rounder, Found Dead--Probable Suicide **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 6, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058 "2016-12-06T22:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/1 "2016-12-06T22:21:11Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. > **[Rashaan Salaam, former Heisman winner and NFL first rounder, found dead in park](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/12/06/rashaan-salaam-dead-heisman-trophy-winner-university-of-colorado/95054912/)** > > Salaam's mother says police told her they suspect suicide after finding a note. More on his career (not very successful after college): > **['94 Heisman winner Salaam dead at age 42](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18221607/former-heisman-trophy-winning-running-back-rashaan-salaam-died)** > > Rashaan Salaam, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1994, has died, a family spokesperson said Tuesday. Salaam was 42. Anyone think this could be a case of traumatic brain injury as a factor in the suicide? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/2 "2016-12-06T22:41:52Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Anyone think this could be a case of traumatic brain injury as a factor in the suicide? I now assume that every suicide by a former college/NFL player is related to traumatic brain injury. It’s heartbreaking. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/3 "2016-12-06T22:58:16Z")
I was in that park on Saturday. F\*\*\* 2016. F\*\*\* it all to hell. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/4 "2016-12-07T06:00:26Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I now assume that every suicide by a former college/NFL player is related to traumatic brain injury. It’s heartbreaking. And, it seems like it’s often when they reach their 40s (Salaam was 42) that the effects of CTE start to become clear. Junior Seau was 43, and both Mike Webster and Dave Duerson were just 50. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/5 "2016-12-07T12:47:32Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I now assume that every suicide by a former college/NFL player is related to traumatic brain injury. It’s heartbreaking. Apparently the CDC studied and found that the rate of suicide among former NFL players is comparable and maybe a little less, than that of the population in general, so maybe it’s just confirmation bias at work. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/6 "2016-12-07T18:35:50Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Apparently the CDC studied and found that the rate of suicide among former NFL players is comparable and maybe a little less, than that of the population in general, so maybe it’s just confirmation bias at work. Makes sense, but technically he was talking about the reason for the suicide, not the fact that the suicide happened in the first place. I also happened to agree with him. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/7 "2016-12-29T20:46:32Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [Rashaan Salaam, former Heisman winner and NFL first rounder, found dead in park](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/12/06/rashaan-salaam-dead-heisman-trophy-winner-university-of-colorado/95054912/) > > More on his career (not very successful after college): > [http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/\_/id/18221607/former-heisman-trophy-winning-running-back-rashaan-salaam-died](http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18221607/former-heisman-trophy-winning-running-back-rashaan-salaam-died) > > Anyone think this could be a case of traumatic brain injury as a factor in the suicide? Its official that it was a [suicide](http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-coroner-rashaan-salaam-suicide-20161229-story.html) **PastTense**. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/8 "2016-12-30T14:00:25Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Anyone think this could be a case of traumatic brain injury as a factor in the suicide? The family would not allow his brain to be examined, but yes, sure. Still, he only really played for 1 year + in the NFL. One or two really good bell-ringings might be enough, though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/9 "2016-12-30T15:53:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Still, he only really played for 1 year + in the NFL. One or two really good bell-ringings might be enough, though. Plus three years of college football, plus high school. One of the “defenses” that the NFL had been using as they were fighting against the lawsuits from players and their families regarding CTE was that there was no way to tell if a particular player’s brain injuries stemmed only from their experience in the NFL – and, frankly, while the NFL’s stonewalling on the concussion issue for years was unconscionable, I think that this is a valid question. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/10 "2016-12-30T16:08:30Z")
Get a load of [what some nut has been adding to Salaam’s page on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rashaan_Salaam&diff=757282391&oldid=757282247)! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rashaan-salaam-former-heisman-winner-and-nfl-first-rounder-found-dead-probable-suicide/774058/11 "2016-12-30T16:52:58Z")
That Wiki page is informative. For example. I never realized he ever was with the Packers. And that Confederate stuff, whatever that was. 🙂