The Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich have been fined by the NFL after Ulbrich’s son was involved in a prank call to Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the NFL draft.
The prank call was made to Sanders, a highly regarded prospect and son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, as he awaited his name to be called during the draft.
Jax wrote down the number and gave it to a friend who later made the call to Sanders on Friday, the second day of the draft. Jax was seated beside the friend when the prank call was made.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Jeff Ulbrich apologized to Shedeur Sanders, his family, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and the rest of the organization.
“My actions—my actions—of not protecting confidential data were inexcusable,“ Ulbrich said. ”My son’s actions were absolutely inexcusable, and for that we are both deeply sorry. The NFL has taken action and I fully respect the punishment. We take full responsibility, my son and myself, and we will not be appealing the fine in any way. Going forward I promise my son and I will work hard to demonstrate we are better than this.”
The Falcons said in a statement that they appreciated the NFL’s “swift and thorough review” of the matter.
“We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process, and accept the discipline levied to Coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organization,“ the statement said. ”We are confident in our security policies and practices and will continue to emphasize adherence to them with our staff whether on or off premises.”
The Falcons said the Ulbrich family will participate in community service initiatives related to the incident.
Sanders, who entered the draft expecting to be a first-round pick, was selected Saturday in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.
The Falcons said Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or the prank until after the fact. He said he made the Falcons aware of the situation and then got hold of the Sanders family to apologize.
Jax Ulbrich has also offered multiple apologies related to the incident.
“So please direct all complaints his way. I appreciate your understanding of this childish prank,” he wrote.
A few other NFL Draft prospects—Tyler Warren, Kyle McCord, Mason Graham, and Chase Lundt—have also reported receiving prank calls, which were unrelated to Sanders’ case.
This year’s NFL Draft wrapped up over the weekend as newly eligible players were recruited to various teams. On Monday, the Falcons announced that it has agreed to terms with 11 undrafted free agents, who will add to the five rookies drafted during the 2025 NFL Draft. The undrafted free agents include five defensive players and six offensive players, adding to four rookies on defense that were drafted and one on offense.
