Rashaan Salaam, a former Heisman Trophy-winning running back, has died

— -- Rashaan Salaam, a Heisman Trophy-winning former running back, has died, a family spokesperson said Tuesday.

He was 42.

Salaam was found dead Monday night in a park in Boulder, Colorado, where he had played for the University of Colorado. Authorities said there was no sign of foul play.

"The Buff Family has lost an outstanding young man and a great Buff today," Athletic Director Rick George said Tuesday. "We are heartbroken for Rashaan and his family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this very difficult time."

The football team at Colorado tweeted about the loss of a great former Buff.

The Chicago Bears, who picked Salaam in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 1995 draft, tweeted, "Our thoughts are with his family."

He won the Heisman Trophy in 1994, after a season in which the Buffaloes finished No. 3 in the final AP poll. He also won the Walter Camp Award that year, and the Doak Walker Award.

During his rookie season, he became the youngest player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards. He was 21 years, 77 days old. He also scored 10 touchdowns that year.

Plagued by injuries and fumbles with the Bears (he lost 14 in 31 games), he acknowledged, in 1999, that marijuana use contributed to his problems in Chicago. "It probably had me out there lackadaisical instead of going out there 100 percent," he told ESPN in an interview then. "Everybody thinks getting high is cool, you can let it go when you want to let it go," he said. "But it's just as potent as cocaine."

Salaam broke his leg in the third game of the 1997 season, after committing two costly fumbles, and said that injury increased his addiction.

Salaam told ESPN he told the Bears about his problem early in 1998 and entered a rehabilitation program, but the Bears later cut him, and he was out of football for a season.

He signed as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders in 1999, but was cut. He landed in Cleveland later that year and played two games for the Browns. He also was a member of the Green Bay Packers' practice squad.

Salaam also briefly played for the XFL Memphis Maniax in 2001.

Salaam launched a comeback attempt in 2002 and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 2003, but he was released before the season. He was signed by the CFL's Toronto Argonauts in February 2004, but was suspended in May, ending his professional career.