Christian Saulsberry

Christian Saulsberry (December 12, 1997 – December 17, 2022) was an American football return specialist and wide receiver who played one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Edmonton Elks. He played college football at Itawamba CC and West Alabama; he also had a stint playing with the FCF Beasts. Saulsberry was murdered in December 2022, while still under contract with Edmonton.

Early life and education Saulsberry was born December 12, 1997, in Southaven, Mississippi. He attended Southaven High School during his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Northpoint Christian School as a junior. He played baseball and football; he was a defensive back and running back in football. As a senior Saulsberry was a team captain and ran for 1,390 yards, scoring 19 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns; he led his team to 13 consecutive wins and the state championship where they lost 50–20. He received many honors for his senior performance, including selection to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, first-team all-state, all-district, and TSSAA Division II Offensive Player of the Year among others. After graduating from Itawamba CC, Saulsberry joined Division II West Alabama for his final two seasons. Professional career Saulsberry was eligible for the 2020 NFL draft but was not selected. After not being on any team in the 2020 season, he was selected with the top pick by the Beasts in the Fan Controlled Football (FCF) draft. He was one of the players they franchise tagged. He scored a touchdown in the Beasts' game against the Zappers.

In May 2022, Saulsberry was signed by the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In two preseason games, he recorded six kick returns for 172 yards, four rushes for nine yards and two catches for 18 yards. Although released following training camp, he was re-signed to the practice roster in August. eventually became the team's main return specialist, and by October was one of the top five players in the league for punt return average with 11.6 yards per return.

In a game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saulsberry recorded 175 kick return yards, the tenth most in a single game in team history, and with an additional 30 punt return yards became the first Edmonton player in nearly a decade with over 200 return yards in one game. His longest return was 51 yards on a missed field goal return.

Death Saulsberry was shot at a party in Walls, Mississippi which is part of the Memphis metropolitan area, on December 17, 2022, five days after his 25th birthday. He died while en route to the hospital. The shooter, 24-year-old Mark McDaniel, was arrested later that day. The following month, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison plus five years of post-release supervision.