Former Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman and Super Bowl champion Matt Ulrich has passed away at the age of 41, as confirmed by Colts owner Jim Irsay.
Expressing his condolences, Irsay shared his grief on X Wednesday morning, stating, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Matt Ulrich. Matt was a valued member of our team for two seasons, and his impact extended far beyond the field. He was not only a tremendous individual but also a devoted father and a Super Bowl champion. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 🙏.”
Ulrich began his journey with the Colts as an undrafted free agent and played for the team from 2005 to 2006, contributing to their Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XLI against the Bears.
Reflecting on the pinnacle of his sports career, Ulrich shared his sentiments in a 2019 interview with Montanasports.com, “Again, seeing the confetti fall in Colts colors and being able to hold the Lombardi Trophy, with everyone on the field, I had to remind myself to take a moment for myself. It was good advice I received from someone that if you win it, take that last moment to look back at the tunnel, the scoreboard, and the field and acknowledge that you’ve reached the highest point in sports. That’s an incredible feeling.”
During his tenure with the Colts, the former Northwestern captain played in 10 games across two seasons, with five appearances in each season, representing his only two seasons in the NFL.
Ulrich acknowledged the transitory nature of the NFL, saying, “I’d love to tell you that I could have played for another decade. But the fact of the matter is, as I’ve probably mentioned before, the NFL stands for ‘Not For Long.’ I was a player who had to compete with drafted rookies in 2005 and 2006. We won the Super Bowl that year, Super Bowl XLI in 2007.
After that, I had another season in NFL Europe, followed by a training camp with the Colts. I knew that roster spots were incredibly limited, and I always advise the athletes I work with to have something beyond football.”
Subsequently, Ulrich relocated to Montana, where he held the position of Chief Growth Officer and Partner with PIE. His PIE biography revealed that he also served as a player advisor for the Harvard Football Players Health study and obtained education certifications from Stanford in strategic marketing management and from Harvard Business School in leading professional service firms.
His biography further mentioned that he was the proud father of four pre-teen sons.
