Shedeur Sanders Receives Apology After 2025 NFL Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Apr 27, 2025 4:38 PM ET

The 2025 NFL draft was rough for Shedeur Sanders, as he fell all the way to fifth round before he was eventually selected by the Cleveland Browns. Along the way, he received a prank call during the second day of the draft that led him to believe he was about to get selected, when that was not the case.

Sanders entered the draft with high expectations, as he was widely expected to be a first-round pick. That didn't happen, and then bewilderingly, Sanders ended up not getting selected during the second or third rounds. It wasn't until the Browns traded up to pick Sanders with the No. 144 pick that he found a home in the NFL.

On Friday, Sanders was the victim of a prank call from a pair of Ole Miss students, with one of them revealed to be Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. After the Falcons released a statement on the incident, Jax issued an apology to Sanders in a post on social media.

"On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake," Jax said via his Instagram account. "(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."

"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."

Jax Ulbrich, the son of #Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich, has released a statement apologizing for his prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/dalUjHjrxZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2025

Jeff Ulbrich won't be punished for his involvement in this incident, as he was unaware of Jax's actions until after the incident took place. Sanders, meanwhile, will look to put this incident behind him and turn his attention towards his rookie season with the Browns.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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