Matt Ulrich’s brain tissue will be donated to CTE research after the Super Bowl winner and father of four died this week at age 41

The family of Matt Ulrich, the Super Bowl winner who died suddenly this week at the age of 41, is donating part of his brain tissue for CTE research.

Ulrich was the father of four young sons when he died of shock on November 5. A cause has not yet been announced.

According to the obituary for Ulrich on the website of Dokken Nelson Funeral Service, the company organizing his funeral in his native Bozeman, Ulrich’s brain tissue will be used so scientists can further understand the neurodegenerative disease.

“He served on the advisory board of the Harvard Medical School Football Health Study, a long-term study of the health of NFL players,” the report said.

“He had a long-standing interest in the neurodegenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, and his family donated some of his brain tissue to further understanding of this disease.”

Ulrich is survived by wife Alison and their four young sons following his death on November 5

Ulrich played for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl, beating the Bears, in February 2007

CTE cannot be diagnosed until after a person has died. It mainly occurs in former football players.

Ulrich’s wife, Alison, posted a heartbreaking tribute to Ulrich beneath a photo of them with their four sons.

“As many of you know, the one-of-a-kind Matt has passed away and is in a better place,” she wrote.

“Matt, we love you so much. You are greatly missed. We all want you back one day. Another hug. Another kiss. Another laugh. Another joke. Another struggle with the boys. It seems impossible to do this life without you.

“Please pray for peace and comfort for the boys. They have lost their biggest fan, coach and friend.

“I don’t have any details on a service yet, but I’ll post it here when I do. Thank you everyone for reaching out and offering help. We appreciate it and are surrounded by love.”

A fundraising campaign has been set up for Alison and her four sons Gunther, Dalton, Bowden and Thoreau, which has raised just over $54,000 at the time of writing.

The father of four’s death was announced this week by Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts for whom Ulrich played in the NFL and won the Super Bowl.

Irsay wrote on Wednesday: “I am heartbroken to hear of Matt Ulrich’s passing.

‘Matt was only with us for two seasons, but he left his mark on many. Great guy, I heard he was a great dad, and he was a Super Bowl champion. My prayers for his family.”

Colts owner Jim Irsay announced earlier this week that Ulrich had passed away

Ulrich played for the Colts when they defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in February 2007, allowing Ulrich to get his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

He played as an offensive guard for the Colts and built a career in the fitness industry after retiring from the sport. He played in just 10 games in his NFL career, but during that time he won the ultimate prize.

Ulrich said in an interview with Montana Sports about his transition from football, “I would love to tell you that I could have played another ten years… the NFL stands for ‘Not For Long.’

“I tell the athletes I work with that they have something beyond football.”