Football 3/15/2023 2:10:00 PM

Saulsberry Honored at Halftime of Annual Red-White Spring Football Game

LIVINGSTON, Ala. - West Alabama football will be honoring the memory of former UWA receiver Christian Saulsberry at halftime of the Annual Red-White Spring Football game.

"Christian Saulsberry's time on earth being cut short is still heartbreaking to all of us," UWA head coach Brett Gilliland said. "Christian was a great Tiger whose smile and determination will be forever remembered."

"His relentless work in the face of adversity was special and to be admired," Gilliland said. "He and his mother worked so hard to be able to have him live his dream of playing pro ball. I am so thankful that he was able to live that dream with the Edmonton Elks. Please join us in continuing to pray for his mama Melissa Saulsberry-Smith and all of his family."

Saulsberry started his collegiate career at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College, then transferred to UWA in 2018 and played two seasons as a Tiger.

During his time at UWA, Saulsberry finished with 1,224 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 23 games. He was named Second Team All-GSC both seasons. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in sports management.

Saulsberry signed a contract with the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League. He appeared in eight games for the Elks during the 2022 season. He was primarily a return man on special teams.

He had 635 yards on kickoff returns and 235 punt return yards. He was ranked ninth in punt return average (12.4) within all of the NFL and CFL last year.

His mother, Melissa Saulsberry-Smith, served as his "momager." She managed and advocated for him to professional teams.

Leading to his signing with Edmonton, Saulsberry had such pride and excitement about his mom securing his contract with the Elks.

To stay connected with the UWA football team, follow @UWA_football on Instagram and Twitter. General athletic news, along with game recaps and box scores, can be found at uwaathletics.com. Additional updates and information are available @UWAAthletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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