JEFF ULBRICH has spoken out on the Shedeur Sanders prank call that cast a shadow over his return to the Atlanta Falcons.
The franchise named Ulbrich as defensive coordinator – only for his son Jax to make a “tremendous mistake” by spoofing Sanders in the NFL draft.
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The quarterback was eagerly anticipating a call – and duly got one.
But it was from Ulbrich Jr pretending to be the New Orleans Saints general manager.
Sanders was told the Saints would pick him but he’d need to “wait a little longer”.
The NFL investigated the call and traced it to Ulbrich Jr.
The college student had obtained Sanders’ number from a iPad supplied to his dad for the draft.
Ulbrich Jr later went on Instagram to apologise to his victim for “completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful” behaviour.
And the Falcons came out with strong backing for Jax’s dad.
A team statement said his son “unintentionally come across the draft contact phone number” at “his parent’s home” and made the “prank call”.
Sanders, 23, had been expected to be one of the first picks.
But in one of the shocks of the draft he was only recruited in the fifth round – by the Cleveland Browns.
Now Ulbrich has had his first say on the matter.
The former New York Jets interim head coach, 48, insists he never felt in danger of being fired.
ESPN quote Ulbrich Sr as saying: “In all honesty, I never went there.
“But I felt nothing but support from the organization in every single way – from the people that worked the line in the cafeteria to [team owner Arthur Blank] himself, all of them.”
Ulbrich previously held three coaching roles with the Falcons from 2015-2020.
And he revealed that 82-year-old New York businessman Blank was a major factor in his return this year
Ulbrich said: “I felt great support from him.
“It was one of the biggest reasons, in all honesty, that I came back here, because of the organization and what I think of this building.”
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