Ex-NFL star and Super Bowl winner Matt Ulrich dies at 41 as Colts owner issues statement

Former NFL star and Super Bowl winner Matt Ulrich dies at 41 as Colts owner issues statement

Matt Ulrich, a member of the 2007 Super Bowl-winning Indianapolis Colts team, has died at the age of 41, and owner Jim Irsay is paying a moving tribute to the former offensive lineman.

Former NFL player Matt Ulrich, who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, has died at the age of 41, announced team and #039.owner Jim Irsay.
The offensive lineman played guard on the Colts team that won the Super Bowl 29-17 against the Chicago Bears in 2007. The Illinois native played college football at Northwestern University.
andquot;I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich andquot; Irsay said X. andquot;Matt was only with us for two seasons, but left a mark on many. Great guy, I heard he was a great dad and he was a Super Bowl champion. My prayers to his family.andquot;

Details of Ulrichand’s death have yet to be confirmed, but Colts and Northwestern fans have paid tribute to the father of four.
Ulrich attended Streamwood High School in Illinois and was a star athlete in both football and shot put. He stayed in state and represented the Wildcats in the NCAA.
After going undrafted in 2005, he signed a rookie free agent contract with the Colts and earned a roster spot. He played 10 games over two seasons before being released.
After retiring from the NFL, Ulrich was a founding member of DexaFit, which has medical testing centers for athletes across America. He was also the head coach of Mountain Edge Athletics.
In a 2019 interview with Montana Sports, Ulrich recalled the joy of winning the Super Bowl and beating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. He said andquot;It’s an incredible feeling. You can see the confetti falling from the ceiling and I still think I still have a handful from 2007.
andquot;Definitely one of the best memories of being on the field with my teammates, especially that game. I think we were down 20 points at one point. We were down by at least three goals in the game. And I remember you just started thinking, “Looks like I’m going to pack it back in,” and after the season you go home and there was almost no difference in the team. andquot;I actually remember (head coach Tony) Dungy saying we’re going to come out and get one score. And football, like life, moves fast. And when you get that momentum back, you can just crush it.
andquot;Especially this year, the Patriots have been a little bit back on their heels. I think they already thought in their heads that they punched their ticket to the Super Bowl and of course the game went our way. And that gave me the opportunity to go to Miami and face my hometown Bruins.