FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons announced that Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, has died. She was 48.
The team said in a statement Thursday night announcing her death that Cristina Ulbrich had been dealing with cancer. Jeff Ulbrich was not with the team during the Falcons' first three days of training camp.
“Cristina will always be an important part of our Falcons family," team owner Arthur M. Blank said
in a statement. “My heart is with Jeff, Samantha, Jax, Jace and the entire Ulbrich family during this unimaginable time. It was always evident how deeply Cristina loved her family and how fiercely she supported them.”
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski expressed his condolences while speaking with reporters Friday, calling the situation “heartbreaking.”
“It's a difficult time for the Ulbrich family. It's a difficult time for the Falcons family. It's a difficult time for everybody who knew and loved Cristina,” he said. “We, like any family, will support Jeff and the kids, and we'll put our arms around him and the kids — literally and as an organization.”
Stefanski said Jeff Ulbrich, in his second season as the Falcons' defensive coordinator, will address the media when the time is appropriate and that the team and franchise are with him and his three children “in the short term and long term.”
The 49-year-old coach played 10 seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers as a linebacker and special teamer.
“The Ulbrichs will always be part of the 49ers family,” the team said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences to Jeff, his children, and all who loved Cristina.”
After his playing career ended after the 2009 season, Ulbrich got into coaching and served as an assistant for Seattle, UCLA, a first stint with Atlanta and then the New York Jets, where he was the defensive coordinator for four years and served as the interim head coach for the final 12 games of the 2024 season.
“The New York Jets are heartbroken by the passing of Jeff Ulbrich’s wife, Cristina, after her courageous battle with cancer,” the team said in a statement. “Cristina will be remembered for her warmth, strength and unwavering devotion to her family. We extend our deepest condolences and love to Jeff, their children and all who knew and loved her.”
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