The NFL community is mourning the loss of one of their own.
ESPN reported on Thursday, July 17 that Bryan Braman, who previously played for the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles, passed away after battling a rare form of cancer. He was 38.
The linebacker had been diagnosed with cancer back in February, his agent Sean Stellato confirmed, adding that he is survived by two daughters, Blakely, 11, and Marlowe, eight.
"[In] Bryan, people saw this enormous human being, but his heart was [as] big as his body," Sean told KPRC 2 in Houston, adding: "His spirit was so motivating. He was so real and genuine with everybody. That made him special."
He went on: "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."
A GoFundMe had previously been set up in February to aid in covering Bryan's treatment plan.
Set up by William Jones, it read: "I am helping to raise funds for our local hometown hero, Bryan Braman. He is a locally raised young man who made it into the NFL and made the game-ending tackle for Super Bowl 52 for the Philadelphia Eagles."
"He is currently fighting a life-threatening cancer that requires an extensive 12-week treatment program located in Seattle, Washington," it went on, detailing how "he is required to have a 24-hour caregiver, but his insurance doesn't pay for housing for this program."
"He has no home currently as he has had to pay [out] of pocket for much of his treatment, and even sold his last vehicle to raise the money for the motel [for] this week. Next week he had nothing lined up yet, and need immediate help to be able to have a place to rest after each treatment each day," it further shared.
An update on June 20 also read: "Bryan is home with his family after undergoing a Car-t cell reprogramming treatment program in Seattle. With the cancer that Bryan has, which is a VERY rare form of cancer, the Car-t treatment had the highest chance of success as the cells are reprogrammed to fight this cancer that is within Bryan." The GoFundMe ultimately raised $88,782 as of this writing, surpassing its initial $25k goal.
Per ESPN, Bryan played seven seasons in the NFL, from 2011 to 2017. He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles after joining the team for the playoffs, blocking a punt in the divisional round. The Super Bowl LII victory was his final NFL game."
His agent's tribute further read: "You look at his journey and beating the odds to make it to the NFL after going undrafted … Not only making it, but producing and becoming a world champion, he had a real hard journey. In life, we all run this race. To die at age 38, the game of football and his family are hurting today. He was a staple for what football and underdogs are about."