Super Bowl Champion Bryan Braman Dies at 38 After Dealing with ‘Rare, Aggressive’ Cancer

NEED TO KNOW

• Former NFL player Bryan Braman has died
• Braman, who played for the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles, died Thursday, July 17 from a rare and aggressive form of cancer
• The Washington state native was diagnosed in February, and had been undergoing treatment in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe

Former NFL lineman Bryan Braman has died of a rare form of cancer, according to reports. He was 38.

Braman, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, died on Thursday, July 17 after undergoing treatment for a “rare, aggressive form of cancer,” his agent confirmed in a statement to ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter.

The Spokane, Wash. native had been undergoing an intensive 12-week treatment in Seattle, which included multiple surgeries, since he was diagnosed in February, according to a GoFundMe organized on his behalf to help with his expenses.

"Bryan, people saw this enormous human being, but his heart was as big as his body," his agent Sean Stellato told NBC affiliate KPRC in Houston. "His spirit was so motivating. He was so real and genuine with everybody. That made him special.”

Stellato added, "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 something I'll always cherish. My heart hurts today."

Bryan had returned home from the hospital with his family “after undergoing a Car-t cell reprogramming treatment program,” according to a June 20 update. 

“At first the mass did start to shrink, but then the cancer started fighting back. At this point Bryan has had to start having chemo treatments that are designed for the treatment program Bryan is in,” organizer William Jones wrote.

He added, “Bryan has had to undergo several surgical procedures. The main problem has been that Bryan has not been able to recover from the procedures because of his lowered immunity due to all of these treatments. By the time he was able to recover so he could continue with the chemo, the cancer has grown exponentially faster, and is now growing around his vital organs.”

Chemo options were “limited,” Jones wrote, and it concerned Braman’s doctors.

On Thursday, those who played with Braman also mourned his death.

“Rest in Peace brother,” JJ Watt, who played with the linebacker in Houston, wrote. “Gone far too soon.”

“I didn’t intend on crying this morning. Then I read the news on my teammate, Bryan Braman,” Emmanuel Acho, who played with him on the Eagles, wrote. “Love you Braman. You lived a hard life, and you never complained about it. A champion in life and a warrior in death.”

Braman was an undrafted free agent when he was signed by the Texans in 2011. He played seven seasons in the NFL, and became a special teams fan favorite for his fiery intensity, which included one instance in which he tackled a punt returner, head-butting him without his helmet on. 

The former Idaho Vandal, who also played for West Texas A&M University, won a Super Bowl in 2017 with the Eagles when they took down the juggernaut, Tom Brady-led New England Patriots.

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Braman leaves behind two daughters, ages 11 and 8, according to KPRC.

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