Matt Ulrich, Super Bowl champion with Colts, dead at 41; owner Jim Irsay ‘heartbroken’

Matt Ulrich, who won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts, died at 41 on Wednesday. The cause of death has not been announced.

Colts team owner Jim Irsay announced the news.

“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 on X, formerly Twitter. “Great guy, I hear he was a great dad — and he was a Super Bowl champ. My prayers to his family.”

Born in the Chicago area, Ulrich started playing football in high school. He shined as an offensive lineman and played football in his hometown for the Northwestern Wildcats. He was a three-time Iron Cat and eventually became a captain on the 2004 team.

After being undrafted out of Northwestern in 2005, Ulrich signed with the Colts and made the team out of training camp. He appeared in 10 games as an offensive guard.

In 2019, Ulrich was asked how it felt to defeat the New England Patriots en route to the biggest game of his career.

“One of the best days outside the four of my four children’s births and my wedding,” he told Montana Sports. “One of the best days of my life was just knowing we punched the ticket to the Super Bowl.”

Ulrich’s final game on an NFL roster came on Feb. 4, 2007, when the Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 in the Super Bowl.

“I had to remind myself to take one moment for myself,” Ulrich said. “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.”

Prior to his death, Ulrich was a player advisor for Harvard’s Football Players Health Study and a chief growth office and partner for Profitable Ideas Exchange. He was also listed as a head coach for Mountain Edge Athletics in Bozeman, Montana, at the time of his death.

Ulrich leaves behind a wife and four sons.