The son of former New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich apologized Sunday after admitting he prank called Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft.
Jax Ulbrich, 21, posted an apology on Instagram. He also said he called Sanders to personally say sorry.
“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.”
Sanders was widely expected to be a top pick in the draft but instead slid all the way to the fifth round, when the Cleveland Browns took him with the 144th pick. On Friday night, during rounds two and three of the draft, Sanders received a call from someone pretending to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
“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,” the caller said before hanging up. Video showed a confused Sanders turning to his draft party and asking, “What does that mean?”
Ulbrich got Sanders’ private number off his father’s iPad, and his friend spoke to Sanders on the prank call. Jeff Ulbrich, 48, finished last season as the Jets’ interim head coach and was hired by the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason as their defensive coordinator.
NFL Draft prank calls have a lengthy history. In 2023, another expected top pick who fell during the draft, Will Levis, received a prank call at the end of the first round. He was eventually selected in the second.
Elsewhere this year, Indianapolis Colts first-round pick Tyler Warren said he received a prank call before his selection, and Buffalo Bills sixth-round selection Chase Lundt told reporters he got several fake calls before he was eventually picked.
