Christian Saulsberry isn’t just making the most of his second opportunity with the Edmonton Elks, he’s making history with it.
Against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at IG Field on Saturday, Saulsberry racked up 175 yards on kick returns, tying for 10th most in a single game in team history. The CFL rookie added 30 yards on punt returns, making him the first Edmonton player since 2013 with over 200 yards on punt and kick returns combined in one game.
Milestone achievements are turning into a weekly occurrence with Saulsberry, who has invigorated the Elks’ return game since coming back to Edmonton in August, signing on Aug. 17 and making his CFL regular season debut on Aug. 27.
Salisbury had been released by the Elks on June 4, just prior to the regular season, after attending training camp and appearing in both of Edmonton’s pre-season games.
“My biggest thing coming back was just to earn their trust, make sure I do all the little things right and be that guy for them on the special teams unit,” Saulsberry said following Saturday’s game during an interview on 630 CHED, radio flagship of the Elks.
The 24-year-old’s longest kick return against Winnipeg went for 40 yards, equaling his personal best, which came Sept. 10 at home against the Calgary Stampeders. He is the first Edmonton player with two kick returns of at least 40 yards in one season since Chris Edwards in 2017.
Christian Saulsberry grabs the missed FG and immediately reverses field position right back around! ⏪ #CFL pic.twitter.com/GQfkaQT15D
— CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) October 1, 2022
Additionally, Saulsberry is the Green and Gold’s first player with two punt returns of 30 or more yards in the same season since Kendial Lawrence in 2015. He had a 31-yard punt return against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina on Sept. 16, and on Oct. 1 brought a punt back 35 yards at home against the Montreal Alouettes. The former West Alabama Tigers star also had a 51-yard return on a missed Montreal field goal on Oct. 1.
Despite playing only six games, Saulsberry already ranks seventh in the league in kick return yards (514) and tenth in punt return yards (146). His per-game average of 85.7 kick return yards leads the CFL by a wide margin.
The Mississippi native has his sights set on scoring Edmonton’s first touchdown off a return since 2015, when Lawrence brought a punt back 64 yards to the house.
“It’s been one of my goals,” Saulsberry said while speaking to media following practice at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium last Tuesday. “I’m a guy that accepts a challenge, I’m not going to run from any opportunity that’s thrown my way because there’s only so many you can get in this lifetime, so you make the most of them.”