Sports
Stephen A. Smith - English
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith did not hold back on First Take Monday morning, launching into a fiery takedown of Jax Ulbrich – the 21-year-old son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich – after he admitted to orchestrating a cruel prank on Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jax, who has since posted a public apology to Instagram, was behind a fake phone call that impersonated New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
They got juice! Deion Sanders Jr. brags about the money Shedeur Sanders got after getting drafted
The call led Sanders to briefly believe he was about to be selected, only to be let down in real time during his widely watched draft livestream. The prank went viral for all the wrong reasons, with many seeing it as a tone-deaf moment targeting a player already enduring a highly public and emotional draft slide.
“To Jeff Ulbrich, I sincerely hope he whipped his kid’s ass,” Smith said on-air. “That’s an ass whipping. That is a required ass whipping.”
Smith was adamant that the elder Ulbrich should not be held directly responsible, but he took aim at the potential consequences such an immature stunt could have caused.
“What if the Atlanta Falcons didn’t believe him? Your dad could have lost his job!” Smith said. “And because you want to prank somebody and be cruel and insensitive knowing what Shedeur must have been going through, you would be some privileged little brat that would do something like that. You should be ashamed of yourself. And you should have your ass whipped.”
NFL investigates the prank as apology follows viral backlash
The prank took place Friday night as Sanders – once projected as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft – was still waiting to hear his name called. While his patience and composure were widely praised, the fake call interrupted what was supposed to be a celebratory night.
The Falcons issued a statement defending Jeff Ulbrich, saying his son had “unintentionally” discovered Sanders’ contact information on an “open iPad while visiting his parents’ home.”
The team confirmed that Jax was not employed by the organization and would not face formal consequences. However, the NFL quickly announced an investigation into the prank following a now-deleted video the group posted on social media showing the moment they duped Sanders.
“It’s been a long wait, man,” the caller told Sanders. “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.”
By Saturday, the situation had escalated into a full-blown controversy, prompting Jax to issue a formal apology on Instagram.
“On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake,” he wrote. “Sheduer [sic], 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.”
This news was originally published on this post .
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What went wrong: How Shedeur Sanders’ descent actually happened pre-draft
Henry McKenna NFL Reporter <!--> There was once an unwritten rule in the corporate hierarchy that an employee should not wear a watch that’s nicer than a superior's. Did Shedeur Sanders consider that on his first day at work Tuesday?It’s not his first job. Once the quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders now has a new employer: the Cleveland Browns. And watches are a huge part of his unapologetic persona. It’s not just that he has worn flashy watches on game day, including one that appeared to be worth $350,000. It’s that he flaunts it. When Sanders and a Nebraska player were talking trash before a game, the former Colorado QB put the watch in his opponent’s face. That "watch flex" was also a touchdown celebration, which people copied in just about every league, including the NFL. It became iconic.But that was […]
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