Rashaan Salaam – Colorado
As a junior in 1994, Rashaan Salaam become just the fourth college running back to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season. With his 24 combined touchdowns, he helped lead his University of Colorado Buffaloes to an 11–1 record, including a 41–24 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl, and won the 1994 Heisman Trophy (ahead of Steve McNair and Kerry Collins).
The Chicago Bears took Salaam with a first round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, but never really got the record-setting running back from Boulder; Salaam’s career was derailed by injuries, fumbling issues, and substance issues. By 1999, the Bears had discarded him.
Sadly, Salaam took his own life on December 5, 2016. Due to religious reasons, Salaam’s family did not consent to neurological tests that would have revealed whether he had previously sustained chronic head trauma. Without having his brain tested, there’s no way to determine whether his depression had been linked to injuries from his days as a player.