Cristina Ulbrich, wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, died from cancer Thursday, the team announced. The Falcons posted a statement on X calling her "a devoted wife, mother, and friend whose strength, grace, and resilience touched all who knew her."

The Ulbrichs met in 1997 during a recruiting trip at the University of Hawaii. Jeff played three seasons at Hawaii and a decade with the San Francisco 49ers. They have three children. Jeff had been absent from training camp due to a personal matter.

Before returning as Falcons DC last season, Jeff served as interim head coach and defensive coordinator for the New York Jets and was on Atlanta's staff from 2015-2020, including the Super Bowl LI run. After hiring head coach Kevin Stefanski in January, owner Arthur Blank urged retaining Jeff due to the defense's improvement.

The Falcons set a franchise record with 57 sacks last season under Ulbrich's leadership.