Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, died from cancer Thursday, the team announced.
The Falcons posted a statement on X, calling Cristina "a devoted wife, mother, and friend whose strength, grace, and resilience touched all who knew her."
"She was a constant source of love and support to Jeff, their family, and the broader Falcons community," the team said in a prepared statement. "On behalf of the entire organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jeff, their children, and all who loved Cristina."
The Ulbrichs met when Jeff was on a recruiting trip at the University of Hawaii in 1997. Jeff played three seasons at Hawaii and then a decade with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.
Jeff had not been with the Falcons this week at the start of training camp due to a personal matter. The Ulbrichs have three children.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank also paid tribute to Cristina in a statement later Thursday.
"It was always evident how deeply Cristina loved her family and how fiercely she supported them," Blank said in his statement. "She faced every challenge with extraordinary courage, strength and grace, inspiring so many through the way she lived and the way she fought. My family and I, along with the entire Falcons family, send our love and prayers for strength to everyone mourning her loss."
Before becoming the Falcons' defensive coordinator last season, Jeff was the interim head coach and defensive coordinator of the New York Jets. He had also been on the Falcons' coaching staff from 2015 to 2020, including part of the staff that led the Falcons to Super Bowl LI.
After the Falcons hired new head coach Kevin Stefanski in January, owner Arthur Blank suggested to Stefanski to retain Jeff as the team's defensive coordinator for 2026 because of how much the team's defense improved under him. The Falcons set a franchise record with 57 sacks last season.