FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Suddenly, the cheers were gone.
Playing football meant everything to Jeff Ulbrich during his 10-year career as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers. But Ulbrich, now the Atlanta Falcons' linebackers coach, suffered a career-ending concussion in 2009 while covering the opening kickoff in a win over the then-St. Louis Rams.
He says he suffered concussions at every level of football, yet he can’t pinpoint how many he sustained before the one that ended his career. The final concussion, in his mind, was just a normal play.
"It was just one of those things: It was a hit that I had taken before that didn’t cause a concussion, and it caused one this time," Ulbrich said.