ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons have been penalized with a $250,000 fine, and their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, has incurred a $100,000 fine due to his son’s involvement in a prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the NFL draft.
The NFL announced these fines on Wednesday, citing the part that the Falcons and Ulbrich played in not safeguarding confidential information given to the team before the draft.
The Falcons revealed that Jeff Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son, Jax, was involved in the prank call aimed at the son of Hall of Fame icon Deion Sanders, who was anxiously waiting to hear his draft call. Despite the setback, the Falcons have accepted the league’s disciplinary actions.
At a press event, Jeff Ulbrich issued an apology to Shedeur Sanders, his family, and Falcons owner Arthur Blank, along with the entire team organization.
“My negligence in protecting confidential data is inexcusable,” Ulbrich admitted. “My son’s actions were completely inexcusable, and for that, we apologize deeply. We accept the NFL’s decision and will not contest the fines. Both my son and I accept full responsibility and are committed to demonstrating improved behavior moving forward.”
The Falcons expressed their gratitude for the NFL’s “quick and comprehensive evaluation” of the incident.
“We addressed the situation internally with immediacy, fully cooperating with the league throughout the investigation, and are in agreement with the penalties assigned to Coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organization,” their statement revealed. “Our faith in our security measures remains firm, and we are determined to continue stressing their importance to our staff, both on and off our premises.”
Additionally, the Falcons mentioned that the Ulbrich family is engaging in community service initiatives related to last week’s circumstances.
On Sunday, the Falcons mentioned that Jax Ulbrich had “accidentally discovered the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders on an open iPad while visiting his parents’ home, later deciding to make a prank call.” A friend of his, whose identity remains unknown, conducted the actual call to Sanders on the draft’s second day. Shedeur Sanders, a promising quarterback from Colorado and son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, who initiated his NFL journey with the Falcons, was picked in the draft’s fifth round by the Cleveland Browns, despite aiming for a first-round selection.
The Falcons confirmed Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data breach or the prank until after its completion. He promptly notified the Falcons about the mishap and reached out to the Sanders family to extend an apology.
“The Sanders family, including Shedeur and Coach Sanders, were extraordinarily forgiving and understanding, more than they needed to be under such circumstances,” Ulbrich commented.
The organization also offered “heartfelt apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family,” while Jax Ulbrich shared a public apology via social media channels.
The NFL’s investigation into prank calls to additional players during the NFL draft is ongoing. Reports indicated that the call to Shedeur Sanders is unrelated to other prank calls received by athletes such as Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren, Kyle McCord, Mason Graham, and Chase Lundt.
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