The son of an NFL coach is the person who is responsible for the cruel prank that was played on Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft, and he has issued an apology.
Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, released a statement via social media on Sunday apologizing to Sanders.
“On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake. Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful. I’m so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish,” Jax wrote on Instagram. “I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I made a terrible mistake and messed with that moment. Thank you for accepting my call earlier today, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
The Falcons also issued a statement explaining that Jax came across Sanders’ draft phone number on an iPad while Jax was visiting his parents. The team said Jeff was “unaware of any data exposure” and learned about the prank after the fact.
Here is the #Falcons statement: https://t.co/Vb7EKy4AXl pic.twitter.com/LMihzt4dfq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2025
Sanders was streaming live on Twitch during the second round of the draft on Friday when he received a phone call from a person claiming to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. Sanders knew something about the call was off, and it became obvious it was a prank when the Saints drafted former Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough. You can see the video here.
A video of the person on the other end of the call then went viral on social media, and people pieced together that Ulbrich’s son may have been involved. It looks like Jax gave the number to a friend, who made the actual call to Sanders.
Rumor has it that Jax Ulbrich, son of Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich, was behind the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) April 27, 2025
This would explain how Sanders’ private number, meant only for NFL execs, got out. pic.twitter.com/pbkLfHoVLU
The phone number that was called was only given to NFL teams for use during the draft, so it was initially unclear how someone would have obtained it.
Ulbrich was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Falcons this offseason after previously serving in the same role with the New York Jets for four years. He became the interim head coach of the Jets last year after Robert Saleh was fired.
