Jax Ulbrich's Apology to Shedeur Sanders: A Prank Gone Wrong at the NFL Draft
In a surprising turn of events during the 2025 NFL Draft, Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, found himself in hot water after pulling a prank on Shedeur Sanders. The incident has since led to a public apology from Jax, who expressed regret for his actions.
On Sunday, April 27, Jax took to Instagram to share his remorse, stating, “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.” His heartfelt message aimed to convey the weight of his actions, especially considering the significance of the NFL Draft for aspiring players.
Jax continued, “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.” His apology was directed at Shedeur Sanders, who was anxiously awaiting his selection during the draft.
The prank unfolded on Friday, April 25, as Shedeur, a quarterback from the University of Colorado Boulder, was poised to be picked. He had been projected as a first-round selection, making the anticipation even more intense. In a video that circulated on social media, Shedeur received a call from someone impersonating Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the New Orleans Saints. The caller informed him, “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.” This left Shedeur visibly confused, prompting him to ask his friends at the draft party, “What does that mean?”
The Atlanta Falcons quickly addressed the situation through a statement shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The statement revealed that Jax had unintentionally obtained Shedeur’s draft contact number from an open iPad while visiting his parents’ home. He wrote down the number with the intention of conducting a prank call. The Falcons clarified that Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or the prank until after it occurred.
The Falcons emphasized that they do not condone such behavior and extended their sincerest apologies to Shedeur and his family. They also mentioned that they had been in contact with the Sanders family and facilitated an apology from Jax. The statement concluded with the team’s commitment to cooperating with the NFL regarding any inquiries and reviewing their protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Despite the prank, Shedeur, whose father is former NFL star Deion Sanders, was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the draft. His brother, Shilo Sanders, who went undrafted, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft concluded.
During a conference call with reporters from the Cleveland area, Shedeur addressed the prank, stating, “It didn’t really have an impact on me. Because it was just like, I mean, OK, like I don’t feed into negativity, or I don’t feed into that stuff. You’ve seen on Deion [Sanders] Jr.’s YouTube video my reaction to it; I don’t — it is what it is. I think, of course, it is childish. Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.” His response showcased a level of maturity and resilience in the face of the prank.
