The Atlanta Falcons were fined $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 for their involvement in the prank call of now-Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the NFL announced Wednesday.
On April 25, the second day of the NFL draft, Sanders received a phone call from someone claiming to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who then briefly pretended Sanders would be drafted by the team before revealing the call to be a prank.
On Sunday, Atlanta released a statement saying Jax Ulbrich, Jeff Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son, was responsible for the call. The Falcons said the younger Ulbrich saw Sanders’s contact information on his dad’s iPad and provided the number to a friend.
Jax Ulbrich was seated next to the unnamed friend in a video released of the call.
“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 Wednesday. “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 adds that the Ulbrich family will participate in “community service initiatives” related to the matter.
“I’m so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish,” Jax Ulbrich said in an Instagram post apologizing to Sanders for the call. “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.”
Sanders, 23, was the Big 12 offensive player of the year for the Buffaloes last season. He is NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers’ 30th-ranked prospect in the entire class.
There was speculation Sanders could be selected as high as No. 3 to the New York Giants, and he was pegged by many draft experts as a first-round talent. Instead, Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round, where he was selected 144th overall by the Browns.
Sanders’s fall in the draft drew widespread attention, including from President Donald Trump, who called owners “stupid” for not taking him earlier.
