Former offensive guard for the Indianapolis Colts Matt Ulrich sadly passed away today. Ulrich went undrafted in 2005 and joined the Colts’ during their run to their Super Bowl XLI victory over the Chicago Bears in 2007. He played in 10 games for Indianapolis and served as one of the protectors of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.
I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich. 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. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Cb21IkP1XT
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) November 8, 2023
Indianapolis Colts Owner Comments
The Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay broke the news on Wednesday this week on the passing of Ulrich:
“I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich. 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.”
Matt Ulrich’s Career And Memories
Along with the Super Bowl championship, Ulrich was also the team captain in college when he attended Northwestern University in 2004 and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He also holds several Northwestern weight room records including a squat of 715 pounds, bench press at 475 pounds, and an incline press of 425 pounds. He won All-State and All-Midwest honors in high school for Streamwood High in the Chicago suburbs and competed in shot put as well.
Back in 2019, Ulrich was interviewed by MontanaSports.com and talked about his Super Bowl Championship with the Colts. This was his description of the glorious moment:
“Seeing the confetti come down Colts colors and being able to hold the Lombardi Trophy, everyone being on the field, I had to remind myself to take one moment for myself. It was good advice I got from someone that, if you do win it, take that last moment to look back at the tunnel and just look at the scoreboard, look at the field, and just know you’re at the pinnacle of sports. And that’s quite an awesome feeling.”
Ulrich’s cause of death has not been released to the public at this time, and will likely be revealed later in the week. All we can do now is give condolences to his friends, family, teammates, and everyone that was a big part of his life.
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