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Cristina Ulbrich, wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, has died at the age 48 after a battle with cancer.
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The Atlanta Falcons are mourning a loss.
Cristina Ulbrich, wife of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, has died at the age of 48 following a battle with cancer.
The NFL team confirmed her death on July 31, with owner and chairman Arthur Blank remembering Cristina as “an important part of our Falcons family.” He shared his condolences with the Ulbriches as they navigate “this unimaginable time.”
“It was always evident how deeply Cristina loved her family and how fiercely she supported them,” he said in a statement on social media. “She faced every challenge with extraordinary courage, strength and grace, inspiring so many through the way she lived and the way she fought.”
He continued, “The greatest legacy Cristina leaves behind is the family she loved so completely, and her strength and spirit will continue to shine through them."
Jeff and Cristina first met in 1997 while he was on a recruiting trip at the University of Hawaii, where he later played college football. After marrying, they went on to have three kids: sons Jax and Jace as well as daughter Samantha.
Following her death, KHON sports director Rob DeMello shared a sweet clip of Cristina supporting Jeff in the earlier days of their relationship during his record-breaking game with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in 1999.
“Sending all of our Aloha to Jeff Ulbrich & his family,” DeMello wrote on X. “Cristina was always his #1 fan.”
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As the Ulbrich family navigates their loss, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski shared the team’s ongoing support for her loved ones.
“I will let Jeff address you guys when the time is appropriate and he can share his thoughts, but just wanted everyone to know that we are obviously with him and the kids in the short term and the long term,” Stefanski said in a statement. “We will make sure that we put our arms around them.”
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