Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Former Colorado Buffaloes participant Shedeur Sanders throughout his quantity retirement ceremony earlier than the spring recreation at Folsom Subject. Necessary Credit score: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Pictures Former Colorado celebrity quarterback and NFL Draft survivor Shedeur Sanders needed to cope with a reasonably public prank name throughout his dramatic slide this weekend.
Sanders, who was projected to be a mid-to-late first-round draft choose, fell into Day 2, the place he nonetheless wasn’t chosen. On Friday night, throughout a livestream, Sanders was prank referred to as in a viral video that was clipped and extensively shared on social media.
For no matter motive, the prank callers elected to share a video of their stunt on-line. It took web sleuths all of 5 minutes to determine one of many people within the video as Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Geniuses.
At 21 years outdated, you’re usually previous the prank-calling age. However sufficient soapboxes for now.
Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the NFL could be wanting into the prank name, because the league had issued non-public cellphone strains to draft picks so solely groups may contact them.
Lower than 5 hours after that report, the Falcons confirmed what the remainder of the web already uncovered — that Ulbrich was behind the gag.
In response to their assertion, Jax by chance got here throughout the cellphone quantity whereas utilizing an open iPad whereas visiting his dad and mom. Doubtless story. The defensive coordinator was supposedly unaware of the information publicity, ensuing prank and was not conscious that any of it had occurred till after the very fact.
Does the iPad not have a self-timer lock?
In response to a number of reviews, a number of NFL Draft prospects had been subjected to prank calls on their devoted cellphone strains. First-round picks Mason Graham and Tyler Warren had been pranked within the inexperienced room. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord additionally obtained a name. One nameless draft choose was reportedly referred to as and advised he was being traded shortly after being chosen.
This situation stretched a lot additional than Sanders, and the NFL ought to nonetheless be investigating, whatever the assertion launched by the Falcons.
Jax launched an announcement of his personal, apologizing to Sanders for the viral error. He requested Sanders for forgiveness and acknowledged that he spoke to him through a cellphone name to apologize. Within the assertion he launched through Instagram, Shedeur’s first identify was spelled incorrectly earlier than he edited it and reposted.
After being chosen within the fifth spherical, the latest Cleveland Browns quarterback acknowledged that the decision didn’t hassle him, as he prefers to not deal with negativity.
“After all I really feel prefer it was a infantile act, however everyone does infantile issues right here and there,” Sanders stated.
Sanders dealt with this entire scenario like a professional, regardless of being solely two years older than his prank caller.
It’s a weird scenario, regardless. However it’s going to turn into even crazier if Ulbrich was linked to the opposite pranks, or if extra perpetrators are unveiled.
Both method, it feels a bit of icky that these younger males had the most effective moments of their lives interfered with by some entitled child who’s sufficiently old to know higher — and he probably received’t be going through any form of penalties.
