The NFL fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,00 for “failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information” after Ulbrich’s son prank-called quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders during the NFL draft, the league announced Wednesday.
Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, obtained Sanders’ confidential phone number from an iPad at his parents’ house and used it to make a prank call. Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of his son’s actions until afterward.
Sanders, whose slide in the draft was the biggest storyline throughout the weekend, received a call from an unidentified friend of Jax posing as New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. The caller falsely claimed the Saints were about to draft the signal-caller with the next pick. Sanders responded that he’d been “waiting” for the call, only to have the prankster reply, “You’re going to have to wait a little bit longer, man,” before hanging up.