Shedeur Sanders & the Draft Day Breach: A Cautionary Cyber Tale
The NFL just issued a $250,000 fine to the Atlanta Falcons.
Their defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, was fined an additional $100,000.
The reason? A prank (executed by his son) that exposed quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders’ private phone number on draft night.
But this wasn’t just a joke gone wrong.
This was a breach of trust. And a masterclass in how digital lapses often come from the people closest to us.
Trust Without Training
On draft night, what should’ve been a defining moment for Shedeur Sanders was interrupted - not by a hacker, but by someone with access and a sense of humor.
The call wasn’t malicious.
But the impact was real.
It highlighted what those of us in the protection business already know:
Digital risk doesn’t always come from bad actors - it often comes from untrained ones.
No firewall was breached.
No malware installed.
Just a moment of curiosity, privilege, and reach - executed by someone inside the trust perimeter.
This isn’t a story about a team failure.
It’s a reminder that access is ambient, especially in high-performance environments where family, staff, and inner circles often overlap.
Access Is the New Risk Surface
We say this often at HardTarget:
It’s rarely the hacker. It’s the helper.
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Not the stranger in the dark web - but the son with the shared device.
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The assistant on the hotel Wi-Fi.
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The friend who just wants to help.
The Ulbrich incident didn’t involve malware. No spyware. No brute force.
Just access + intent + timing.
And that’s the formula behind nearly every breach we see in the athlete world.
This Is the Reality for High-Profile Clients
When you’re in the public eye, the line between personal and professional disappears.
People don’t attack your firewall - they exploit your relationships.
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They spoof your agent.
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They impersonate your GM.
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They weaponize your calendar, your group chat, your last Instagram post.
And they don’t need to be criminals.
They can be your roommate. Your cousin. Your coach’s kid.
Which is why digital protection can’t just be about software.
It has to be about behavior, boundaries, and training the people around you.
📲 You Can't Coach in Real Time What Wasn't Rehearsed Ahead of Time
At HardTarget, we help athletes and their teams harden the most overlooked surface of all - the human one.
Because in moments like this, you don’t need an apology.
You need a protocol.