The 2025 NFL Draft took an unexpected and uncomfortable turn for former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders when he became the target of a prank call while awaiting his selection.
On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons confirmed that Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, admitted to prank-calling Sanders during Day 2 of the draft. According to a statement from the Falcons, Jax obtained Sanders’ private phone number after seeing it displayed on his father’s open iPad during a visit to his parents’ home. He later used it to impersonate New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis in a prank call that was captured on video and circulated widely on social media.
In the call, the impersonator told Sanders, “We’re going to take you with our next pick, man, but you’re going to have to wait a little bit longer, man. Sorry about that.” A visibly confused Sanders turned to his draft party guests and asked, “What does that mean?”
Jax Ulbrich issued a public apology via Instagram, describing his actions as “completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful.” He also said he had personally apologized to Sanders earlier that day. “I’m so sorry I took away from your moment; it was selfish and childish,” Ulbrich wrote. “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. Thank you for accepting my call earlier today. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
The Falcons emphasized that Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of his son’s actions until after the prank took place. The team said it is reviewing its internal security protocols to prevent future incidents. “The Atlanta Falcons do not condone this behavior and send our sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family,” the team’s statement read, adding that the Falcons have been in direct contact with the Sanders family.
Despite the controversy, Sanders appeared to handle the situation with maturity. After being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, Sanders addressed the prank during a conference call with Cleveland reporters. “It didn’t really have an impact on me,” Sanders said. “I don’t feed into negativity or that stuff. You’ve seen on Deion Jr.’s YouTube video my reaction to it. I think, of course, it was childish. But everybody does childish things here and there.”
The NFL is now investigating the matter, particularly focusing on how Sanders’ private number was leaked, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This incident wasn’t isolated to Sanders. Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren also reportedly received a prank call before being picked in the first round, and Buffalo Bills sixth-round selection Chase Lundt said he fielded multiple prank calls during draft weekend. However, a Falcons official stressed that Jax Ulbrich was only responsible for contacting Sanders and was not involved with the other prank calls.
While Jeff Ulbrich will not face any discipline from the Falcons, the organization made it clear that measures are being put in place to ensure such breaches of privacy do not happen again.
As Sanders embarks on his NFL career with the Browns, he has already shown the kind of poise and professionalism teams covet—handling an unwanted distraction with grace and perspective.
