Matt Ulrich, former Indianapolis Colts player and a Super Bowl winner, has died at the age of 41, according to the team’s owner Jim Irsay.
Irsay said on X, in a post retweeted by the official Colts account on Wednesday: ‘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.’
A cause of death has not yet been given. Ulrich was a father of four.
He said being a part of the run with the Colts to the Super Bowl was his proudest moment outside of his family commitments, telling Montana Sports in 2019: ‘One of the best days outside the four of my four children’s births and my wedding.
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
Matt Ulrich, former Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl winner in 2006, has died at age 41
Ulrich played in the Super Bowl win over Chicago Bears and later worked in the fitness industry
‘One of the best days of my life was just knowing we punched the ticket to the Super Bowl and we beat our arch nemesis, the Patriots, of course,’ he said.
Ulrich played for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl in 2006, beating Chicago bears 29-17. He appeared in just 10 games in his NFL career but during that time, got his hands on the ultimate prize.
Ulrich played as an offensive guard for the Colts and after retiring from the sport, forged a career in the fitness industry.
Speaking about his move away from football in the same Montana Sports interview, Ulrich said: ‘I’d love to tell you that I could have played for another decade… the NFL stands for ‘Not For Long.’
‘I tell the athletes I work with, have something past football.’
In 2018, Ulrich was the face of the opening of another gym in Bozeman, Montana and underlined how much he enjoyed helping people live a healthier life.
‘I call it the ‘Get Better Gym.’ People come here because they want to get stronger, they want to get healthier, they want to get faster,’ said Ulrich. ‘You go in to train and improve yourself.
‘My students energize me. I’m a better person when I’m coaching and working with these guys, because football and training is in my DNA. So for my opportunity to work with these guys and see them get to their potential and live their dreams, that’s the fun part.
‘And to see them learn what I’ve learned over the decades, it’s been a blast.’