I’m a relative newbie dad. Two young kids. Still early enough in the honeymoon phase that I can’t really envision them ever disappointing me – honestly, I fret more about disillusioning them. Of course, mutual letdowns are doubtless inevitable.
That being said … man – I just can’t fathom what Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is enduring right now.
Sunday, the day after the NFL draft wrapped, the Falcons and league revealed that Ulbrich’s son, Jax, had been directly involved with prank calling former University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders – a stunt the perpetrators naturally ensured went viral Friday. It happened the day before Sanders’ stunning draft free fall ended when the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round.
Wednesday, the NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Jeff Ulbrich $100,00 for what was effectively a breach of personal information after Jax Ulbrich, 21, lifted Sanders’ phone number from his father’s work iPad.
‘First of all, I would like to publicly apologize to Shedeur and the Sanders family for what occurred,’ Jeff Ulbrich, his voice wavering, said Wednesday afternoon.
He also apologized to the Atlanta organization and his bosses during his first news conference since the draft.
‘My actions – my actions – of not protecting confidential data were inexcusable,’ Ulbrich continued, seemingly taking an inordinate amount of the blame.
‘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, both 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 that we are better than this. Again, I am deeply sorry for our actions.’
Ulbrich further confirmed he and Jax had been in touch with Sanders and his family in order to make amends, revealing: ‘The Sanders family, Shedeur and Coach (Deion) Sanders, were amazingly gracious. More gracious than they needed to be in a moment like this.’
The NFL has now done its judge, jury and adjudicator thing. The Falcons and Ulbrichs have issued public apologies. Hopefully Sanders, his professional football opportunity finally secured, has moved on from the fiasco given the self-reflection he’s surely undergone himself in recent days as he prepares to try and win a roster spot – and, just maybe, the Browns’ open QB1 job – while proving the league was wrong to devalue his services, regardless of whatever he did to fuel that doubt.
But, in reality, that hardly means the matter is truly closed.
I can only speculate to what Jeff Ulbrich is currently feeling, though I don’t know many (any?) parents who could easily shrug off a $100,000 salary diminishment because one of their children was poking around in their professional lives. I can only speculate to how angry and disappointed he is with his son, who’s about a decade past being too old to know better, and would hope whatever emotions he’s experiencing stop short of betrayal – because all of us, young and old, are capable of really stupid things and self-sabotage. (Also, betrayal would surely require more forethought than Jax Ulbrich displayed in this instance.)
But I think as a Gen X parent – which Ulbrich also is – living in what’s shifting into a Gen Y and Z world, I’d mostly be profoundly concerned for my child.
The Falcons revealed Wednesday that the “the Ulbrich family is working with the organization to participate in community service initiatives in relation to last week’s matter.’ That seems like a decent start for Jax Ulbrich, who’s listed as a sophomore running back for the Berry College football team – though it might seem like he’s getting off rather lightly since he’ll apparently have to merely provide his time given he’s not subject to the six-figure fine his father and his employer are.
However Jax Ulbrich will be entering the workforce soon enough – and it’s probably safe to say a 5-9, 161-pound player from a Division III school won’t be getting any NFL draft calls in the future, prank or otherwise. He also lives in a world where the internet doesn’t forget and rarely forgives – as my dad told me once upon a time, “what goes around, comes around.” Who knows where the economy will be when Jax Ulbrich is ready to embark on a career, but this is certainly the kind of episode that will distinguish his digital résumé from his peers’ – because potential employers will find out (if they don’t already know) when the time comes to vet him. It’s daunting.
To be clear, I’m not rooting against Jax Ulbrich. Hopefully this mess evolves from a very bad moment into a teachable one – even at his age – and maybe the kind he can somehow spin into a positive by virtue of his mandated community service. Perhaps that leads to additional voluntary time he chooses to invest down the road. (If he’s lucky, the Falcons might put him in touch with former franchise icon Michael Vick, who’s worked harder than any athlete I can think of while legitimately trying to redeem himself – following a prison sentence – knowing he’ll never actually earn everyone’s forgiveness for his role in that infamous dogfighting operation he oversaw two decades ago.)
But while I’m not rooting against Jax Ulbrich – and anyone who covers sports knows cheering from the press box is a cardinal sin – based on what we know, I already find myself pulling for Jeff Ulbrich.
This tempest will largely blow over soon enough. As I pander for a moment to USA TODAY NFL cohort Mike Freeman, Jeff Ulbrich recently completed the Kobayashi Maru scenario – which is to say navigating a no-win situation – after serving as the interim head coach of the New York Jets in 2024. (That was actually a three-win scenario – against nine defeats – before he and his colleagues were summarily shown the door.)
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And maybe this event will convey as a privileged family screwing up to many. Understandable interpretation.
But Jeff Ulbrich has never been a star. After a fairly anonymous, workmanlike, 10-year career as a hard-nosed linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, he’s spent the past 15 seasons paying his dues as a respected NFL assistant coach. It’s not exactly the glamourous life many might assume.
Moving forward, Ulbrich will forever be linked to his son’s sad hoax – go ahead and add it to the list of the draft’s most infamous moments – and can only hope his coaching career ultimately supersedes it. Maybe that starts this season after Atlanta took a pair of pass rushers in Round 1 who should help him uplift a defense that ranked 23rd in the league in 2024.
But in the interim, I hope Ulbrich is able to be at his best as a parent amid obviously unenviable circumstances. His son needs him more than ever.
‘We have to take this on the chin,’ Jeff Ulbrich said Wednesday. ‘And we absolutely are doing that, taking full responsibility and I am hopeful we will grow and be better because of it.’
Rise Up, Coach.