Falcons And Coach Jeff Ulbrich Fined Over Draft Day Prank Call To Shedeur Sanders

The NFL fined nan Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and protect coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 connected Wednesday, April 30, successful consequence to nan prank telephone made to backmost Shedeur Sanders during nan NFL draft. A fewer hours aft nan NFL announced nan fine, Ulbrich held a property convention to apologize publicly. 

Why is nan Sanders prank telephone specified a large story?

Sanders was considered a apical prime by galore pundits and draught experts aft throwing for 4,100 yards and 37 touchdowns past play astatine nan University of Colorado. He became nan story of nan draught aft falling each nan measurement to nan 5th information earlier being picked by nan Cleveland Browns. 

As he waited for his sanction to beryllium called connected time 2 of nan draft, a video surfaced connected societal media of Sanders receiving a telephone from personification impersonating New Orleans Saints wide head Mickey Loomis. After listening to nan caller, a confused Sanders asked nan group astatine his draught party, “What does that mean?”

Who is apologizing and why?

Ulbrich’s 21-year-old boy later admitted to nan prank telephone and apologized successful an Instagram post connected Sunday, April 27. 

“I’m truthful sorry I took distant from your moment, it was selfish and childish,” Jax Ulbrich posted. “I could ne'er ideate getting fresh to observe 1 of nan top moments of your life, and I made a unspeakable correction and messed pinch that moment. Thank you for accepting my telephone earlier today, I dream you tin find it successful your bosom to forgive me.”

Jeff Ulbrich, backmost pinch nan Falcons aft 5 seasons pinch nan New York Jets, besides took work during a news convention Wednesday, April 30. 

“My actions of not protecting confidential information were inexcusable,” Ulbrich said. “My son’s actions were perfectly inexcusable, and for that, we are some profoundly sorry.” 

Why were nan fines truthful big, and really did nan telephone number leak?

In a statement, nan NFL said nan fines were for “failing to forestall nan disclosure of confidential accusation distributed to nan nine successful beforehand of nan NFL draft.” 

The Falcons said Sunday, April 27, that Jax Ulbrich wrote down Sanders’ number from his father’s unfastened iPad while visiting his parents’ location and later made nan prank call. Ulbrich said he was not alert of nan telephone until aft nan draft, past informed nan Falcons and called nan Sanders family to apologize. Shedeur’s father, Deion Sanders, is successful nan Pro Football Hall of Fame and began his 14-year playing profession pinch nan Falcons.

“It’s difficult, but for illustration I said, it’s thing that I brought upon myself and my boy brought upon himself, truthful it’s 1 of those things,” Ulbrich said. “We gotta return this connected nan chin, and we perfectly are doing that, taking afloat responsibility, and I’m hopeful we’ll turn and beryllium amended because of it.”  

Which different players received prank calls?

At slightest a half twelve prospects besides received prank calls complete nan draught weekend, which nan convention says are unrelated. This database includes first-rounders Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren and Mason Graham. The NFL is reportedly investigating nan dissemination of subordinate numbers. The numbers of nan apical 15 players successful attendance astatine nan draft, on pinch prime others, are usually placed connected a distribution database for teams truthful they tin scope that subordinate aliases his supplier during nan draft. 

Agents typically grip astir calls from squad representatives, but Sanders is representing himself. After nan Browns took him connected Saturday, April 26, Sanders told reporters he wasn’t bothered by nan prank.

“It didn’t really person an effect connected me,” Sanders said, “because it was conscionable like, I mean, OK, for illustration I don’t provender into negativity, aliases I don’t provender into that stuff. You’ve seen connected Deion [Sanders] Jr.’s YouTube video my guidance to it. I don’t… it is what it is. I think, of course, it is childish. Of course, I consciousness for illustration it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things present and there.”