Top 3 Colorado Buffaloes running backs of all time ft. Rashaan Salaam, Eric Bieniemy
The Colorado Buffaloes have been the talk of college football due to the arrival of Deion Sanders. The Pro and College Football Hall of Famer has brought plenty of attention to Colorado and has seemingly turned things around. After finishing 1-11 last season, the Buffaloes are 3-1 to begin 'Prime Time's first year leading the program.
While Colorado has been a pass-heavy offense this season, they have gotten plenty of production from running back Dylan Edwards. Take a look below as we revisit the top three running backs in program history.
#1 Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Salaam joined the Colorado Buffaloes ahead of the 1992 season. Salaam hardly saw the field as a true freshman, finishing the year with just 158 rushing yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.
He stepped into a bigger role the following season as he split touches with Lamont Warren. Salaam ran for 844 yards and eight touchdowns on 161 carries, adding 13 receptions for 118 yards. He was named to the first-team All-Big Eight.
In 1994, Salaam produced one of the best seasons by a running back in college football history and easily the greatest season in program history. He finished with 2055 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 298 carries. Salaam also caught 24 passes for 294 yards.
He won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the only player in Colorado Buffaloes history to win the award. Salaam also won the Walter Camp Award as the best player in the nation and the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the nation. He was named a unanimous All-American, Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year, and a unanimous selection to the first-team All-Big Eight. Salaam was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
#2: Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy joined the Colorado Buffaloes ahead of the 1987 season, making an immediate impact. He finished with 508 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 104 carries, adding ten receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
Bieniemy broke out the following season as he ran for 1243 yards and ten touchdowns on 219 carries. He caught two passes for 20 yards and was named to the first-team All-Big Eight. He finished with 561 yards and nine touchdowns on 88 carries in 1989 as he battled injuries.
He bounced back as a senior, however, running for 1628 yards and 17 touchdowns on 288 carries. He caught 13 passes for 159 yards, helping lead the Colorado Buffaloes to their only national championship in program history. Bieniemy was named a unanimous All-American, Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big Eight.
#3 Phillip Lindsay
While the top two spots on this list were obvious, there were several candidates in contention for the final spot. Phillip Lindsay gets the nod here, as he finished his Colorado Buffaloes career with 3775 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on 765 carries. Lindsay caught 117 passes for 1084 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks third in program history in rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns.