Former University of Alabama linebacker Saleem Abdul Rasheed, 30, of Bessemer, pleaded guilty to charges of food stamp fraud and falsely claiming a woman as his wife on immigration forms, according to a joint statement from U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Maley and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr., the Birminghan News is reporting.

Rasheed played linebacker at Alabama from 1999-2001 before leaving school early to enter the 2002 NFL Draft. Rasheed was drafted early in the third round as the 69th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, and would spend four seasons in the NFL. Rasheed would later be cut in the 2006 preseason while with the Houston Texans.

After a hiatus, Rasheed would join the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders, helping them win the Grey Cup in 2008.

According to the report, Rasheed is charged in one count with signing a Department of Homeland Security form I-751, a Petition to Remove Conditions of Residence, on April 2 for a woman whom he claimed to be his wife, according to the statement from authorities. Rasheed was, however, legally married to another woman, according to the statement.

Rasheed also pleaded guilty to receiving $5,551 in Family and Food Assistance, from October 2009 until April 2010, while claiming that he was unemployed. He was, however, working as a teacher for the Jefferson County Board of Education during that time, according to the statement.

For those of us who have never played football professionally, stories like this one are extremely frustrating. The league minimum in 2002, the year he was drafted, was $225,000 annually. The next year a two year veteran was guaranteed $300,000. His salary package was likely more than this.

Anyone who understands the grass roots of investing (or knows someone who does) understands how just a little put back each month can grow into a healthy nest egg over time. Heck, if you save $2,000 per year from age 22 to age 30, putting it in a Roth IRA, and don’t touch it until age 60, you’ll net over $1 Million (according to the great Dave Ramsey).

Couple that knowledge with the basics of discipline, of which an athlete should understand, and once your name is callen on draft day you should have a future that doesn’t include financial hardship and/or Federal Court.

Sheesh.


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21 thoughts on “Saleem Rasheed pleads guilty in Federal Court”

  1. i wouldn’t worry about saleem too much,

    after obama is re-elected, the charges will be dropped.

    gotta look tough on government fraud before an election and all.

    1. You’re somewhat correct in your assessment, however, Rasheed should know better, there is no law against being stupid, he just took advantage of the system, you multiply what he did by the hundreds who do the same thing everyday and , well you get the picture, just because he went to the University doesn’t automatically make him a model citizen. Him and his kind are among us and unfortunately they won’t change, they just get more careful.. RTR

    1. There you go again Hoopie, putting facts and truths on here to confuse the mullets. Dude, have a heart lmao : )

  2. An Auburn Man would have just held up a trailer park full of privileged Auburn students or would have extorted money from a coach who was helping him & his family.

    War Eagle!!!!!!

  3. You might have just been kidding. I hope so. Cause no way in hell that worthless, socialist POS Obama gets reelected. The great black hope is a bomb. And I was actually hoping he would succeed. As for Rasheed. Bwaa haww haww! Leave it to the media! At least 25% of the minorities and more than 25% of the unemployed in this country rip off the State and Federal government for Food Stamps, WIC, Welfare, Medicaid, Disability, Unemployment Compensation, etc every day. Not to mention all ranges of society including elected officials lying about taxes, taking under table handshakes, issuing contracts with self interests, and cutting costs with inferior materials, etc.
    If this was your neighbor – and it just might be – you would never have heard a word about it. Despite a college education, he was still a kid when he went pro. Immaturity and lots of money for a few years is not a recipe for success. I’m not taking his side. I’m just laughing at his bad luck in being a media target for such common offenses. BOORING!

    1. As much as it might break Brando’s heart…. im gonna agree with you crimsonite. As much as he wants me to bow down to his sorry azz, I aint gonna do it. And for the rapist RC, you just shut your mouth boy, nobody gives a dayum wat u think felon……Obama is a fraud and a God….anti christ in tha flesh. Regardless, he is a asshole that need not be re elected under our watch………..

  4. Saleem used to show up at Bidgood after he announced he was turning pro rocking a suit. Unfortunately he didn’t take advantage of what he learned at UA. He always had a big league attitude and that was probably his downfall. What a ef’ng disgrace!!!

  5. Saleem was part of those embarrassing and disgraceful teams from ’99-01 under Dumbose and the FRAN Fraud. Enough said

    Hoopie and FBJ:

    You must really be f—ing stupid to believe that the nasty Cow College in Lee County actually produces better citizens than the Capstone. I know most AU fans believe in those BS marketing campaigns about that trash University in Auburn, but check out the latest rankings in US World & Report and see where both schools rank academically on a National scale. EMPIRICAL data wins again. Now, check NCAA Stats to see who has the 3RD MOST PROBATIONS IN NCAA HISTORY, Empirical data strikes again

    1. Last I checked RC, nobody here gives a shyt what you say or think. Go back to your room you pimply faced jagoff lmao.

  6. For everyone one that gets caught cheating welfare, thousands and thousands do not. I believe those who cannot work due to disability and those who are TEMPORARILY without a job and looking for one, deserve assistance. But there are far more out there who claim welfare because they are too lazy to get off their ass and work. They had rather let the rest of us pay taxes for them to sit at home with a hand out. There are cases in Chicago of 4th and 5th generation households receiving welfare. I can see someone who neeeds help, but 4-5 generations??

    Until someone starts making these lazy-ass people work, we will never get the debt in order. Obama makes Jimmy Carter look like a good president and the sooner Obama is out of office, the better off America will be!

  7. I guess Saleem thought he’d never get caught.Now look what he’s lost. Now he is looking at time behind bars. He had to have been making a living wage with the Board of Education. I have never understood why people do this sort of thing. RTR

  8. EXCEPT for FBJ who somehow keeps responding to my opinions. FBJ is a pussy who refuses to meet me face to face

    1. FBJ is a man who gave you the gift of life. Shut your fuking face before its too late azzhole

  9. FBJ,

    Didn’t 4-5 members of the Auburn football team rob a trailer park full of Auburn students last year?! Didn’t Eric Smith nearly kill a fellow Auburn student also under Chizik’s watch?

    As far as being called a rapist, where is your evidence? All I said is I wanted to have some fun with your girlfriend.who’s to say she wouldn’t finally want a real man?

    Accept my challenge you Piece of Shyt or shut your mouth!! It’s your choice!

  10. Saleem was out of money because he had multiple wives(all at once) and homes that he couldn’t afford.

  11. Tornado you are correct…the dark secret of the Rasheed family is that his mother is a pologomist and she collect food stamps since he was 4 yrs old. She has been taking advantage of the system also. That is how he know what to do.
    Saleem is married to two women and he got caught trying to claim his second wife. First is a legal marriage, but the second wife was riding a visa and hiding out. Both women had two very expensive houses located in the same neighborhood.
    I’m glad he got caught….men like him think they are above the law cause he had money.

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