The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 on Wednesday after a draft-night prank call to quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
League officials said Ulbrich’s son, 21-year-old Jax Ulbrich, found Sanders’ phone number on an iPad while visiting his parents. The Ole Miss student saved the number, which was issued by the NFL, to use in a prank call.
A viral video showed Jax Ulbrich sitting in a room while someone else called Sanders during the second night of the NFL draft, falsely claiming to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
“It’s been a long wait, man,” the caller, who has not been named, said to Sanders. “We’re going to take you with the next pick right here, man. But you’re going to have to wait a little bit longer, man. Sorry about that.”
Sanders, the Colorado star who was initially projected to be one of the top three signal-callers picked in the draft, slid to the fifth round. The Cleveland Browns selected him on the draft’s final day.
In a statement, the Falcons said they collaborated with the NFL investigation and accepted the league’s punishment.
“We appreciate the NFL’s swift and thorough review of last week’s data exposure and the event that transpired due to it,” the Falcons said in a statement.
“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. 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 also said the Ulbrich family “is working with the organization to participate in community service initiatives in relation to last week’s matter.”
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.
“The Sanders family, Shedeur and Coach Sanders, were amazingly gracious. More gracious than they needed to be in a moment like this,” Ulbrich said.
The team also offered “sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family.”
Jax Ulbrich issued a public apology on Sunday.
“I made a tremendous mistake,” he wrote on Instagram. “[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.”
He mentioned that he had already apologized directly to Sanders in a phone call.
Also Sunday, Sanders said, “It didn’t really have an impact on me. … It is what it is. I think, of course, the dude was childish. Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.”
Sanders was one of several prospects who received similar calls over the weekend. One source familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press the other calls appeared unrelated.
“I got one prank call. It was somebody in Colorado acting like they were the Broncos,” offensive tackle Josh Conerly said Tuesday on the “Grant & Danny Show.”
Denver instead added Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the 20th pick. Conerly, out of Oregon, joined the Washington Commanders with the 29th pick.
“Mine wasn’t as bad and as cruel as some of the other ones,” Conerly said.
Pranksters also targeted Penn State defensive lineman Abdul Carter, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and UConn offensive tackle Chase Lundt.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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