- Matt Ulrich died this week at the age of 41, leaving behind his wife and four children
- A cause of death for the Colts Super Bowl winner is not yet known
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The family of Matt Ulrich, the Super Bowl winner who died suddenly this week at age 41, is donating some of his brain tissue to research into CTE.
At the time of his shock death on November 5th, Ulrich was the father of four small sons. A cause has not yet been announced.
According to Ulrich’s obituary on the website of Dokken Nelson Funeral Service, the company organizing his funeral in his hometown of Bozeman, Ulrich’s brain tissue will be used for scientists to better understand the neurodegenerative disease.
“He served on the advisory board of the Harvard Medical School Football Health Study, a long-term research initiative on the health of NFL players,” it said.
“He had a long-standing interest in the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, and his family donated some of his brain tissue to further understanding of this disease.”
Matt Ulrich’s brain tissue will be donated for CTE research following his death at age 41
After his death on November 5th, Ulrich leaves behind his wife Alison and their four young sons
Ulrich played for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl in February 2007, defeating the Bears
CTE cannot be diagnosed until a person has died. It is particularly common among former football players.
Ulrich’s wife Alison posted a heartbreaking tribute to Ulrich under a picture of them with their four sons.
“As many of you know, the one and only Matt has passed away and is in a better place,” she wrote.
“Matt, we love you so much.” You are missed deeply. We all want you to come back for just one more day. Another hug. Another kiss. Another laugh. Another joke. Another wrestle with the boys. It seems impossible to live this life without you.
“Please pray for peace and comfort for the boys.” They have lost their biggest fan, coach and friend.
“I don’t have details on a service yet, but will post them here as soon as I have them.” Thank you to everyone who reached out and offered help. We appreciate it and are surrounded by love.’
A fundraiser has been created for Alison and her four sons, Gunther, Dalton, Bowden and Thoreau, which has so far raised just over $54,000 at the time of writing.
The father of four’s death was announced this week by Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, with whom Ulrich played in the NFL and won the Super Bowl.
Irsay wrote on Wednesday: “I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of Matt Ulrich.”
“Matt was only with us for two seasons, but left his mark on many.” Great guy, I heard he was a great father – and he was a Super Bowl champion. My prayers go out to his family.’
Colts owner Jim Irsay announced that Ulrich passed away earlier this week
Ulrich played for the Colts when they defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in February 2007, giving Ulrich his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
He played as an offensive guard for the Colts and began a career in the fitness industry after retiring from the sport. He only appeared in 10 games in his NFL career, but in that time he secured the ultimate prize.
In an interview with Montana Sports, Ulrich said of his move away from football: “I would like to tell you that I could have played another decade…the NFL stands for ‘Not For Long.’
“I tell the athletes I work with that they have something that goes beyond football.”