Jalen Saunders (born September 30, 1992) is a
gridiron football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was most recently a member of the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). He was drafted by the
New York Jets in the fourth round of the
2014 NFL Draft. Saunders was also a member of the
Arizona Cardinals,
Seattle Seahawks,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
,
New England Patriots,
Chicago Bears,
Hamilton Tiger-Cats,
Houston Roughnecks
The Houston Roughnecks are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and plays its home games at TDECU Stadium.
History
...
, and
Ottawa Redblacks
The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Starting ...
. He played
college football at
Oklahoma.
High school
Saunders attended
Pleasant Grove High School in
Elk Grove, California
Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, located just south of the state capital of Sacramento. It is part of the Sacramento– Arden-Arcade– Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 Census, the population ...
. He averaged nearly 19 yards per catch and scored 11 receiving touchdowns on 46 receptions as a senior with 871 yards receiving in 10 games. He also rushed for 410 yards and averaged eight yards per carry and scored six touchdowns.
He was also an outstanding sprinter, who clocked a 10.54 time in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contes ...
and a 21.41 in the
200 meters as a junior.
He was considered a three-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
''.
College career
Saunders accepted a scholarship from
Fresno State
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
. As a freshman, he was third on the team in receptions with 27 for 441 yards and three touchdowns, and also had 14 carries for 109 yards on sweeps and reverses. In 2011, he was named first-team All-
WAC after he had 1,065 yards on the year on 50 receptions, the ninth 1,000-yard receiving season in Fresno State history. He led the WAC with 12 touchdown catches, which tied for the third-most in program history.
On May 8, 2012, he announced he was transferring to the
University of Oklahoma
, mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State"
, type = Public research university
, established =
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.7billion (2021)
, pr ...
, citing a change in offensive philosophy at Fresno State as the reason for his transfer. After originally being told he'd have to sit one year, he was cleared by the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
to play in 2012.
In his premier season with Sooners, Saunders played in nine games with eight starts. Despite sitting out the first four games due to transferring, he totaled 62 receptions for 829 yards and three touchdowns. He tied a school record with 15 catches for 181 yards and set a school record with eight catches in the first quarter vs.
Notre Dame (10/27). In 2013, he started all 13 games and was named second-team All-
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
. He recorded 61 receptions for 729 yards and eight touchdowns, highlighted by a winning performance against
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
in the
Sugar Bowl, in which he recorded 5 receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Professional career
New York Jets
He was drafted by the
New York Jets in the fourth round (104th overall) of the
2014 NFL Draft. In 3 games with the Jets, Saunders returned 6 punts for 26 return yards. He was released by the Jets on September 29, 2014.
Arizona Cardinals
Saunders was signed to the
Arizona Cardinals' practice squad on October 1, 2014.
Seattle Seahawks
He was signed to the
Seattle Seahawks' practice squad on November 4, 2014.
New Orleans Saints
The
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
signed Saunders to their 53-man roster on November 19, 2014, just one day after placing fellow rookie
Brandin Cooks
Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon State, where he received consensus All-American honors, a ...
on injured reserve.
New England Patriots
On September 1, 2015, the Saints traded Saunders to the
New England Patriots for a conditional draft pick. He was released on September 5, 2015.
Chicago Bears
He was signed to the
Chicago Bears' practice squad on September 7, 2015. Saunders was not offered a futures contract by the Bears after the
2015 NFL season
The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL), and the 50th in the Super Bowl era. To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl, a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions ...
.
Saunders was suspended for the first 10 games of the
2016 NFL season
The 2016 NFL season was the 97th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 51st of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 8, 2016, with defending Super Bowl 50 champion Denver defeating Carolina in the NF ...
for violating the substance abuse policy.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
During April 2017, Saunders participated in
The Spring League
The Spring League was an American football developmental league and scouting event (pro showcase) that played from 2017 to 2021 and was founded by Brian Woods. Aimed at professional athletes but not paying a salary or expenses, the league's go ...
, a startup developmental league who operates as a showcase for NFL and CFL scouts.
Saunders was one of several Spring League players who signed with professional teams later in the year; in Saunders' case he signed with the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. Despite being released after the preseason, Saunders was assigned to the Hamilton practice roster. After two weeks, Saunders was promoted to the active roster to take the place of star receiver
Terrence Toliver, who suffered a torn ACL during Hamilton's opening game of the 2017 season. During his CFL debut on July 8, Saunders recorded 6 catches for 78 yards, making him the most productive receiver for the Ticats. Saunders also had one rush for a single yard in a losing effort against the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
. Saunders topped his performance the following week, again serving as Hamilton's most productive receiver by catching 5 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions played their first season ...
. In later weeks, Saunders was also used as a return specialist. During the 16 games he played in, Sanders made 76 catches for 1,170 yards and 4 touchdowns. The following year, Saunders was on pace for an outstanding year, but a season ending injury capped his 2018 production at 739 yards and 2 touchdowns on 45 catches during 9 games played. On December 21, 2018 Saunders and the Ti-Cats agreed to a contract extension, preventing him from becoming a free agent two months later. On May 16, 2019, just prior to training camp for the
2019 season, Saunders was cut by the Tiger-Cats.
Houston Roughnecks
Houston Roughnecks
The Houston Roughnecks are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and plays its home games at TDECU Stadium.
History
...
coach
June Jones
June Sheldon Jones III (born February 19, 1953) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the Offensive Coordinator of the Seattle Sea Dragons. Jones was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 1 ...
, Saunders's coach in Hamilton, selected Saunders in the seventh round of phase one of the
2020 XFL Draft
The 2020 XFL Draft was the inaugural player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams of the 2020 reboot of the XFL. The draft was held on October 15–16, 2019, via conference call, with results released through the XFL's social ...
. He was placed on injured reserve before the start of the regular season on January 21, 2020. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.
Ottawa Redblacks
On April 21, 2020, Saunders signed with the
Ottawa Redblacks
The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Starting ...
. After the CFL canceled the
2020 season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Saunders chose to opt-out of his contract with the Redblacks on August 28, 2020. He re-signed with Ottawa on January 11, 2021. Saunders was involved in a car accident in May 2021. He retired from football on June 15, 2021.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
On April 14, 2022, Saunders came out of retirement and signed a two-year contract with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
. However, he was released in the early stages of training camp on May 25, 2022. On May 26, 2022 it was reported by the
Winnipeg Free Press
The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...
that the Bombers parted ways with Saunders after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 22-year old woman during the
May holiday weekend.
References
External links
Oklahoma Sooners bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Jalen
1992 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Elk Grove, California
Players of American football from California
American football wide receivers
Canadian football wide receivers
American players of Canadian football
Oklahoma Sooners football players
Fresno State Bulldogs football players
New York Jets players
Arizona Cardinals players
Seattle Seahawks players
New Orleans Saints players
New England Patriots players
Chicago Bears players
Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
The Spring League players
Houston Roughnecks players
Ottawa Redblacks players
Winnipeg Blue Bombers players