Super Bowl champion and retired Indianapolis Colts offensive guard Matt Ulrich has died, according to the team’s owner, Jim Irsay. Ulrich was 41.
“I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich,” Irsay wrote on X Wednesday, alongside a photo of Ulrich holding the Vince Lombardi trophy in 2007. “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.”
The former captain at Northwestern University played two seasons with the Colts comprising the entirety of his NFL career, but Ulrich won a title when a Peyton Manning-led Colts team defeated the Chicago Bears 29–17 in Super Bowl XLI.
Upon his retirement in 2016, Manning looked back on the moment and credited his teammates, including Ulrich.
“That 2006 team was a special team, we had gotten close, we were knocking on the door and had some disappointing losses,” Manning said
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He added, “One thing we never ever did was give up, we kept fighting.”
Following his retirement from football, Ulrich cofounded DexaFit LLC, a body fat and metabolic testing company with locations across the country.
Ulrich was also a player advisor for the Harvard Football Players Health Study, where he had obtained certifications from Harvard Business School.
The former athlete most recently served as chief growth officer and partner with Profitable Ideas Exchange, a Bozeman, Montana-based company that advises professional services firms.
On the company’s bio page, Ulrich shared his love for Montana and for his second-act career.
“My wife and I always dreamed of raising our family in Bozeman, MT, but 20 years ago there were far fewer professional jobs available,” he wrote. “It warms my heart that when we delight clients and grow our business, we create new jobs here in Montana for families who have the same dreams I did.”
In his downtime, Ulrich also made sure to make time for his family — and other athletes aspiring to the greatness he achieved in the NFL.
“Keeping up with my four preteen sons is the highlight of my life and keeps me on my toes,” he wrote. “I also invest my time in helping young athletes in our area reach their full potential through coaching and training — this is one of my true passions. I can also often be found at the gym, where I recently bench-pressed 505 pounds at the age of 40 — the goal-setting doesn’t stop!”
