Shedeur Sanders described the prank call as “childish,” but downplayed its overall effect on him.
The Atlanta Falcons have been issued a $250,000 (£187,000) fine by the NFL after Jax Ulbrich — son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich — made a prank phone call to quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft.
Jeff Ulbrich himself has received a personal fine of $100,000 (£75,000) over the incident, which the club stated involved 21-year-old Jax Ulbrich obtaining Sanders’ phone number from his father’s iPad at home to subsequently carry out the prank call.
Social media footage shows Sanders answering a call from someone claiming to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
During the call, Sanders is told the Saints intend to draft him with their next pick, only to be informed moments later that he will “have to wait a little bit longer.”
Sanders — whose father Deion Sanders had a renowned tenure in the NFL beginning with the Falcons — was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns with the sixth pick of the fifth round, 144th overall.
The Falcons, who have formally apologised to Sanders and Jax Ulbrich, indicated that Jeff Ulbrich “was unaware of the data exposure or any elements of the prank.”
The penalties imposed are reported to be, external the result of “failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft.”
“We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process, and accept the discipline levied to coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organisation,” the Falcons said in an official statement.
“We are confident in our security policies and procedures, and will continue to stress the importance of compliance among our staff, whether on or off premises.
“In addition, the Ulbrich family, in partnership with the organisation, will participate in community service initiatives in response to the incident.”
Sanders, speaking about the event, reiterated that while he found the call “childish” he did not feel it had any genuine impact on him.