Former NFL linebacker Bryan Braman died at age 38 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in February.
An undrafted free agent out of West Texas A&M, Braman entered the league in 2011 with the Houston Texans. He played three seasons there before spending the next four years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played at Idaho and Long Beach City College.
Braman’s final game was Super Bowl LII as a member of the Eagles, who defeated the New England Patriots. He proudly celebrated in the postgame celebration holding his daughters, Blakely (now 11) and Marlowe (eight), who survive Braman.
Braman said after retirement that winning the Super Bowl win and his daughters were “the three greatest accomplishments in my life.”
Braman’s agent, Sean Stellato, and former Texans teammate J.J. Watt commented on Braman’s death on Thursday.
“Rest in Peace brother,” Watt wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Gone far too soon.”
“My heart hurts. I love you Bryan,” Stellato posted to Instagram.
Braman, a special teams ace in his playing days, underwent multiple surgeries in the Seattle area this year. Watt was among the contributors to his GoFundMe effort, raising around $90,000 to help cover medical costs.
Braman played 97 regular-season games and recorded 56 career tackles.