Falcons Coordinator Faces Fallout from Son’s Prank Call

Jeff Ulbrich’s son, Jax, may have disrupted Chedur Sanders’ draft weekend, but the former interim head coach of the Jets didn’t worry about his own position with the Falcons in light of those events.

“Honestly, I’d never experienced anything like this before, but I felt nothing but support from the organization, from the cafeteria staff to Arthur Blank, and even myself,” Ulbrich stated. “That support was honestly one of the main reasons I decided to return here. I really appreciate this place.”

Ulbrich, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Falcons, found himself at the center of a national controversy when Jax participated in a prank call during last month’s NFL Draft.

Jax secretly took Sanders’ number from an iPad at his parents’ home. He then joined a friend in calling Sanders, who believed he was finally receiving important news about his career, only to hear that he “has a little longer” to wait.

As a result of the incident, Jeff was fined $100,000, while the Falcons incurred a $250,000 fine.

He described the actions of himself and his son as “unforgivable.”

In a public statement in April, Jeff apologized to Chedur and his family. He expressed regret for the disruption caused and emphasized the importance of protecting sensitive information. “I fully respect the NFL’s decision on this matter,” he said. “We take full responsibility for our actions and won’t challenge the fines. This is a lesson for my son moving forward.”

Jax also expressed remorse on Instagram, admitting, “I made a huge mistake on a Friday night. Chedur, what I did was selfish and childish. I can’t even imagine how it felt to have your moment interrupted like that.”

Jeff joined the Falcons after previously struggling with a 3-9 record during his stint as interim head coach for the Jets, following a coaching shake-up led by Robert Saleh. He had earlier served as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator in 2020.