NFL-Falcons, DC Ulbrich fined over draft day prank call to Sanders

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NEW YORK (Reuters) -The NFL fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and their defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000, the league said on Wednesday, after Ulbrich’s son prank called quarterback Shedeur Sanders on the second day of the NFL Draft.

Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son Jax apologized after a video showed Sanders, who was once expected to go in the first round but was later drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth, taking a call from someone who said they were the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

The Falcons said that Jax Ulbrich came across Sanders’ private contact information on an open iPad while visiting his parents’ home, raising questions over player privacy during the league’s biggest off-season event.

An NFL spokesperson told Reuters the fine was “for failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft.”

The Falcons previously said that their defensive coordinator had no knowledge of the data exposure and that they would “cooperate fully with any inquiries.”

The elder Ulbrich apologized at a press conference on Wednesday, calling his and his son’s actions “inexcusable,” and said he would not appeal the fine.

“The NFL has taken action and I fully respect the punishment. We take full responsibility, my son and myself,” he told reporters.

“Going forward I promised my son and I will work hard to demonstrate we are better than this.”

Ulbrich said he was not made aware of the situation until after the draft.

“At the end of the day, I did not protect confidential NFL data well enough,” he said.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New YorkEditing by Toby Davis)