Matt Ulrich, a reserve offensive lineman who played two seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, including the Super Bowl XLI-winning team, has died at 41, according to team owner Jim Irsay.
‘I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich. Matt was with us only two seasons, but left his mark on many,’ Irsay posted to X. ‘Great guy, I hear he was a great dad — and he was a Super Bowl champ. My prayers to his family.’
A cause of death has not been announced.
Ulrich was married and the father of four boys. His wife, Alison, made an emotional post on Facebook after his death.
‘Our beloved, one of a kind Matt has passed away and is in a better place,’ Alison wrote. ‘Matt, we love you so so much. You are profoundly missed. We all want you back for just one more day. One more hug. One more kiss. One more laugh. One more joke. One more wrestle with the boys. It seems impossible to do this life without you.
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‘Please pray for peace and comfort for the boys. They have lost their greatest fan, coach and friend.’
Ulrich’s greatest joy in life was being a father and helping other young athletes, according to his company bio at Profitable Ideas Exchange in Bozeman, Montana, where he worked as chief growth officer and partner.
‘Keeping up with my four pre-teen sons is the highlight of my life and keeps me on my toes. 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,’ Ulrich wrote in his bio. ‘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, originally from Chicago, played college ball at Northwestern on a football scholarship, where he was a three-year starter on the offensive line and team captain as a senior in 2004. While playing at Northwestern, he helped lead the team to two bowl games and a Big Ten title in 2000. He was also a member of the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Shortly after the 2005 NFL draft, Ulrich landed a free-agent contract with the Colts, where he played two years on the active roster, appearing in 10 games.
After the NFL, Ulrich went back to Chicago where he founded a sports performance clinic in 2007. He soon moved to Montana, a place Ulrich said in his bio that he and his wife, Alison, had dreamed of raising a family.
Ulrich is listed as head coach at Mountain Edge Athletics, a speed and strength training facility in Bozeman, with a myriad of athletic accomplishments.
‘Through hard work and dedication in the gym on and off the field, he became a three-time Iron Cat, an award bestowed only to athletes achieving the highest level of strength, speed, and overall conditioning,’ according to Mountain Edge Athletics’ website.
Ulrich still holds many lifting records at Northwestern, including bench press (475 pounds); incline press (425 pounds); squat (715 pounds); and dumbbell military (120s for seven reps).
‘After college Matt took his training to the next level. Working on his speed and footwork with former USA Olympic coaches in Cincinnati, Matt impressed NFL scouts with more than his strength,’ writes Mountain Edge Athletics. ‘On his Pro Day, Matt showed his athleticism at 304 pounds with top offensive linemen scores in all of his combine events.’
Those included a 5.05 40-yard dash, 4.22 pro shuttle, 6.76 three-cone drill, 32-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot, 8.5-inch broad jump.
On his company’s website, Ulrich wrote about his greatest professional accomplishments, including earning executive education certifications from Stanford in strategic marketing management and from Harvard Business School in leading professional services firms.
He also talked about the Colts’ Super Bowl win in February 2007, ‘which instilled in me the importance of teamwork, grit and leadership,’ Ulrich wrote.
At the time of his death, Ulrich was a player advisor for Harvard’s Football Players Health Study, which was launched in 2014 as a comprehensive research program examining causes that impact the health and well-being of former NFL players.
Details on services for Ulrich are pending, according to Alison’s Facebook post. ‘Thank you to everyone for reaching out and offering help,’ she wrote. ‘We appreciate it and are surrounded in love.’
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.