Christian Benford is not one to seek the limelight, but his impact within the confines of One Bills Drive is undeniable. Despite his quiet demeanor, he is often the last to leave the Buffalo Bills’ practice field. Even as a former sixth-round draft pick, he refuses to be content with his success as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL for the first two weeks of the 2024 season. Instead, he is motivated by the desire to win Lombardi Trophies and someday be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He shrugs off any suggestion that he has “made it” as an insult, always striving for more.
It is truly remarkable when you consider how far he has come. When you hear his story and see the tattoo on his right cheek – a heart with half its color drained away – you begin to understand the depth of his journey.
“I’ve dealt with waves of young people I’ve known since before they were even born,” shared mortician Carlton C. Douglass. “Having to receive calls from their parents, informing me that their child needed my services because they had been killed, that’s tough.”
Benford grew up in a tough neighborhood where violence and death were a regular occurrence. The TV show “The Wire,” which depicted the harsh realities of life in such areas, hit close to home for Benford. He witnessed the devastating impact of drugs and violence firsthand, as friends and acquaintances fell victim to senseless crimes.
“There were days when dead bodies lay on the sidewalk, some of them kids I grew up with or looked up to,” Benford recalled. “The basketball court across the street was sometimes off-limits because of police investigations into shootings. I attended more funerals than I care to remember, many of them closed-casket affairs. It was a harsh reality.”
Despite the odds stacked against him, Benford’s NFL dreams remained intact. Growing up surrounded by death and despair, he made a conscious decision to rise above his circumstances, fueled by the losses he experienced.
“So many people I cared about were dying, and the way we were living was just not acceptable,” Benford explained. “I made a choice to go all in and give it my everything.”
Benford’s resilience and determination have carried him to where he is today, defying the statistics that suggested he would never make it. His journey from a troubled neighborhood to the NFL is a testament to his unwavering spirit and his refusal to be defined by his past. As he continues to make a name for himself on the football field, Christian Benford is a shining example of perseverance and strength in the face of adversity.
