Former NFL player Bryan Braman has died after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Braman’s death was confirmed by his longtime agent, Sean Stellato, on Thursday, July 17. He was 38 years old.
“I got the horrible news early in the morning after one of his best friends reached out and said that he took his last breath while surrounded by friends and family,” Stellato told Houston’s KPRC 2.
Stellato added, “People saw this enormous human being, but his heart was big as his body. His spirit was so motivating. He was so real and genuine with everybody. That made him special. It’s hard. I feel like I lost my firstborn. This kid, he gave me his bed every time I came to Philadelphia. He would threaten me if I didn’t stay with him. That’s how unselfish he was and how generous he was. That’s something I’ll always cherish. My heart hurts today.”
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Braman played seven seasons in the NFL from 2011 to 2017 for both the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2018.
A linebacker and special teams specialist, Braman’s most memorable play came when he blocked a punt in the Eagles’ Divisional Round game against the Atlanta Falcons on the road to the Super Bowl.
Earlier this month, Stellato told KPRC that Braman had been diagnosed with a “rare, aggressive and recurring form of cancer,” though he did not specify what type.
Braman had undergone multiple surgeries and treatment programs after being diagnosed, according to a GoFundMe page that was set up last month in Braman’s honor by his friend William Jones.
Jones explained that Braman’s opportunities for chemotherapy treatment were “very limited” due to his lowered immunity.
“They have tried all of the various treatment options, and unfortunately, none of them are working against this cancer,” the GoFundMe page read. “But Bryan has not given up. He is looking into other trial treatment programs, and is determined to never give up.”
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The donations helped fund the “necessities for his diet” and to “cover some of the treatment costs that are not covered by insurances.”
Braman’s GoFundMe raised over $88,000, including a $10,000 donation from his former Texans teammate J.J. Watt.
Watt, 36, remembered his late friend with a post on social media on Thursday.
“Rest in Peace brother,” he wrote via X. “Gone far too soon.
.”
