.jpg)
4 hours ago
1
The NFL Draft was a forgettable experience for Shedeur Sanders, yet also one to remember, as his lifelong dream of playing in the league finally came true. Sanders had been projected as a first-round pick—day two at worst—but he unexpectedly fell to the third day. He believed he was going to be selected in the second round by the New Orleans Saints.
That belief turned out to be the result of a cruel prank. A group of boys had called Sanders, pretending to be the Saints with a draft offer. It wasn’t funny—it stole a meaningful and emotional moment from him. Later, it was revealed that the person behind the prank was Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Jax eventually issued a public apology.
“On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake. Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful. I'm so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish. 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,” Ulbrich posted.
The Atlanta Falcons also released a statement shortly after the news broke:
“The Atlanta Falcons do not condone this behavior and send our sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family, who we have been in contact with to apologize to, as well as facilitate an apology directly from Jax to the Sanders family,” the team wrote.
On Monday, Stephen A. Smith addressed the situation on his show, strongly condemning Jax Ulbrich’s actions. He even suggested a punishment for Jeff Ulbrich to consider for his son.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“I sincerely hope he whipped his kid's a**. That's an a** whipping. That is a required a** whipping,” Smith said on air.
Sanders eventually received the real call in the fifth round, but what Ulbrich did remains completely unacceptable. The NFL is currently investigating the incident, though no punishment has been announced as of now.
English (US)