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NEW YORK -- The Heisman is the biggest brand name in college football. Its trophy winners carry that identity with them as if it were a marriage vow. Their lives are altered forever. Shortly before 8:30 P.M. Saturday, an unassuming junior from Colorado will experience this phenomenon firsthand when he becomes known as Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam.
It is a role Salaam has refuted all season. But unlike the old saying, it seems Salaam's body wrote a check his mouth couldn't cash.
"I don't see myself as the Heisman Trophy winner, Salaam said midway through the season. "I see myself as one of the hard workers on the team.''
Until the Downtown Athletic Club of New York awards the 60th annual Heisman Memorial Trophy, Salaam remains just one of six finalists. The others, in alphabetical order, are Alabama senior quarterback Jay Barker, Penn State junior tailback Ki-Jana Carter and senior quarterback Kerry Collins, Alcorn State senior quarterback Steve McNair and Miami junior defensive tackle Warren Sapp. All of them are either consensus All-Americas or have won national awards tailored to their position.
While he has no guarantees, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Salaam does have all the credentials. He is only the fourth back in NCAA Division I-A history to rush for more than 2,000 yards. The other three -- Marcus Allen of USC (1981), Mike Rozier of Nebraska (1983) and Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State (1988) -- all won the Heisman.
Salaam finished with 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns in 298 carries. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry and carried the ball 27 times per game. That answers any questions about his durability. He led the nation in rushing, all-purpose yards and scoring.
Sapp has swept the linemen awards. Barker won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and McNair leads all candidates in national media coverage. But only Salaam's name has dominated polls of Heisman voters for the last six weeks. That in itself bucks a trend. In the last 10 years, the only running backs to win the Heisman have been Sanders and Bo Jackson of Auburn (1985).
The question will come down to whether Salaam can be bought. NFL scouts don't pay serious attention to juniors unless they definitely plan to leave college early. However, the pros probably will keep sneaking looks at Salaam until he makes a decision soon after the Buffaloes play in the Fiesta Bowl.
Salaam has proved himself durable and productive. Saturday night, fans should discover how good he looks holding a trophy.
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