Matt Ulrich, a former NFL offensive lineman who spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, died on Nov. 5, team owner Jim Irsay announced. He was 41 years old. The cause of death was not announced, but Irsay praised Ulrich for the impact he made as a football player and family man.
“I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich,” Irssay wrote on social media. “Matt was with us only two seasons, but left his mark on many. Great guy, I hear he was a great dad — and he was a Super Bowl champ. My prayers to his family.”
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Ulrich played for the Colts in 2005 and 2006. He was on the team when the Colts won the Super Bowl during the 2006 season. In his two years with the Colts, Ulrich played in 10 games. Following his NFL career, Ulrich was a player advised for Harvard’s Football Player Health Study, a chief growth officer and partner for Profitable Ideas Exchange and was the head coach of Mountain Edge Athletics in Bozeman, Montana, according to CBS Sports.
“My wife and I always dreamed of raising our family in Bozeman, MT, but 20 years ago there were far fewer professional jobs available,” Ulrich wrote on the company’s bio page. “It warms my heart that when we delight clients and grow our business, we create new jobs here in Montana for families who have the same dreams I did.”
Ulrich also wrote that he loves spending time with his sons and other athletes looking to be great. “Keeping up with my four preteen sons is the highlight of my life and keeps me on my toes,” he wrote. “I also invest my time in helping young athletes in our area reach their full potential through coaching and training — this is one of my true passions. I can also often be found at the gym, where I recently bench-pressed 505 pounds at the age of 40 — the goal-setting doesn’t stop!”
Ulrich played college football at Northwestern and was named team captain in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Alison Ulrich, and their four sons, Gunther, Dalton, Bowden and Thoreau. A fundraiser has been launched to support the family, and the page has over $66,000 in donations as of Monday morning.
