He was a beloved man whose death has been very tough on the people in Lowndes County. Saturday, 20 year-old Ed Christian was laid to rest. One of his high school teammates recalls his big impact on their championship team.
"He was a strong man," said former teammate Greg Reid. "He carried the team in a lot of ways that nobody else could. I felt strong because of that bond."
Hundreds of people turned out to display their love and respect for Christian. They say he was like family.
Christian comes from a large family. Many of them are living right here in Lowndes County. But, some also are coming from Thomasville, which is about an hour away. And there are also Auburn fans from all around the southeast in Mathis Auditorium who came to pay their respects.
The service lasted a little over an hour. It moved many people to tears. Current Florida State Seminole Greg Reid says the service was a fitting tribute to Christian.
"It was real packed," Reid said. "It was a great ceremony. The choir was real good. Even his friend got up and talked. It was pretty big. The whole Auburn team came out. So, it was huge."
Reid is hoping that other athletes learn from Christian's tragedy.
"We just sat down and said just by us being college athletes, you meet a lot of people every day," Reid said. "We know it could happen to anybody. Right now, we are just trying to be careful. We are just trying to finish up through this college season."
And while the hearse, branded with the Auburn logo, marked the end of the service. It most certainly is not the end of the grief.
"It was tough," said Reid. "It felt kind of better just to see our teammates that came out. It was tough though."
Christian was a big man who made a big impact everywhere he went.
Christian was one of three people shot dead at a pool party in Auburn. 22-year old Desmonte Leonard has been charged with the murders.
Funerals for the other two victims were held in Alabama Friday.
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