Former Eagle and Super Bowl LII champion Bryan Braman died on Thursday after a battle against a rare form of cancer, his agent confirmed to ESPN.
Braman was 38.
An NFL linebacker of seven years from the 2011-2017 seasons, Braman was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in February and had been undergoing treatments and surgeries in Seattle.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help cover Braman and his family’s housing costs while he was receiving treatment, and went on to raise more than $88,000, which included contributions from former teammates Brent Celek, Chris Long, Rasul Douglas, and J.J.Watt of the Houston Texans, according to Bleacher Report.
Braman, a native of Spokane, Washington, started his NFL career in Houston, then signed on with the Eagles ahead of the 2014 season.
He stayed in Philadelphia through 2016 and served mostly as a special teamer who developed a unique skill for blocking punts.
Late into the 2017 season, Braman was signed back to the Eagles ahead of what became the miracle underdog run. He left his own impact on it, too.
Braman blocked one more punt late in the first half of the Eagles’ divisional round game against the Falcons, which gave them generous field position and enough time to move far enough down to knock in a field goal before the intermission.
The sequence kept the Eagles within a point of what ended up as a 15-10 win to advance to the NFC Championship, and there was no stopping the team from there.
In Super Bowl LII a few weeks later, the Eagles outplayed and outsmarted Tom Brady and the dynasty New England Patriots, 41-33, finally bringing home Philadelphia’s first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Braman recorded a tackle in what stood as his last NFL game, and in the celebration after, was captured giving general manager Howie Roseman his thanks for bringing him back.
“Today is a tough day that hits close to home,” wrote longtime Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson on his social media when word broke of Braman’s passing. “I always admired Bryan’s ability to overcome life’s obstacles, his passion for the game, and the love he had for his friends and family. Rest in peace, Brother.”
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bryan Braman,” the Eagles said in a statement. “During his four seasons in Philadelphia, Bryan was a loyal teammate, a supporter of the community, and a valuable member of our Super Bowl LII-winning team. More importantly, he was a devoted father who passionately loved his family and everyone around him. We extend our deepest condolences to Bryan’s family and all who are grieving his loss during this difficult time.”
Braman is survived by his two daughters, at 11 and eight years old, his agent Sean Stellato told ESPN.
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
