Bryan Braman, an undrafted free agent who became a Super Bowl champion, dies at 38
'You look at his journey and beating the odds to make it to the NFL after going undrafted,' Braman's agent Sean Stellato told KPRC-TV in Houston. 'Not only making it, but producing and becoming a world champion, he had a real hard journey. ... 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.'
Stellato told the station that he had learned from one of Braman's closest friends that the former Long Beach City College player 'took his last breath while surrounded by friends and family.'
Braman graduated from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash., and redshirted for a year at Idaho before playing at LBCC in 2007 and 2008. He transferred to West Texas A&M in 2009.
After going undrafted in 2011, Braman signed with the Houston Texans and remained for three seasons, playing in 46 games, mostly on special teams. In the final game of his rookie season, Braman earned the admiration of Texans fans when he tracked down and tackled Tennessee's Marc Mariani after losing his helmet earlier in the play. The following season, Braman was a Pro Bowl alternate on special teams.
'We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Bryan Braman,' the Texans wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Braman family during this difficult time.
Braman went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014-2016, then signed with them again late in the 2017 season for a playoff run that culminated in a 41-33 victory against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
'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,' the Eagles said in a statement. 'More importantly, he was a devoted father who passionately loved his family and everyone around him.'
According to a GoFundMe page set up for Braman in February, he was battling 'a very rare form of cancer.' Several of Braman's former teammates contributed to the fund, including retired Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who donated $10,000.
On Thursday, Watt also paid tribute to his late teammate on X.
'Rest in Peace brother,' Watt wrote in a post that also featured a photo of Braman in his Texans uniform. 'Gone far too soon.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
24 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Dak Prescott Still Seeking Playoff Success Going Into 10th Season With Cowboys
Dak Prescott might be the physical embodiment of where the Dallas Cowboys stand as an organization in 2025. Both are rich, famous and desperately seeking postseason success. Going into his 10th season as the Cowboys' quarterback, Prescott has been with the team for nearly one-third of its NFC-worst 29-season drought without a conference title game appearance. He is driven to end it this year, preferably culminating in a Super Bowl ring. "If you don't want to win a Super Bowl, or don't think we can win a Super Bowl, then don't come to Oxnard," Prescott said Thursday. "You're in the wrong place. We know the standard when you wear the star. We know the expectations." Prescott is looking to bounce back from a chaotic 2024, which included becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history following protracted and public contract negotiations before sustaining a season-ending hamstring tear in early November. Back at full health and approaching his 32nd birthday on Tuesday, Prescott finds himself overseeing a much different offense under new coach Brian Schottenheimer than what Mike McCarthy ran the previous five seasons. Prescott is lining up under center more after primarily working out of the shotgun under McCarthy. There is more pre-snap motion and an increased variety of personnel groupings. Prescott likes the changes he has seen so far during the first week of training camp. "You don't know really when we're going to motion, when we're not, when we're doing to hit you with something fast, so it's just another great weapon," Prescott said. Even Prescott's trademark "Here we go" cadence is set aside at times, though Schottenheimer joked it is too ingrained in the public consciousness to be fully abandoned. "I mean, why would we take it away when it's got TikTok memes and stuff like that," Schottenheimer said. "It's one of the best things that he does, man, and so we're going to let him do that. But like everything that we do, we're going to be multiple." Another key asset is the return of Prescott's mobility, which he has displayed by extending plays or scrambling. "It's been a long road to it," Prescott said of his recovery after partially tearing his hamstring off the bone against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 3, requiring surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process. "It's something that I think about every time I step on that field, being thankful for this moment. Not taking anything for granted, and understanding that I've got to continue to push. It's one thing to be healthy, but how much better can I get now that I'm healthy, and that's on the forefront of my mind, so feels good." That injury and Prescott's veteran status led Schottenheimer to say the quarterback's workload in camp will be carefully managed to ensure he will be healthy for the regular season. However, Schottenheimer conceded it might be difficult to get Prescott to dial things back. "He wants to do as much as possible," Schottenheimer said. "Luckily, we have the trump card with him on that. But in all seriousness, there's a smart way to train." Even with the decrease in preseason snaps, Prescott's desire to compete has not diminished, physically or mentally. "It's what I want from this game, and I know it's what everyone wants in this locker room," Prescott said. "Winning. Winning, winning, winning. And, obviously, if we give everything we can, and you go at it, there's a lot of good things and patches and pats on the back, I guess you could say, on the way. "But that's what's on my mind, 10 (years) in and ready to play another 10. But I want that first and foremost now, and that is the urgency that I carry with just the love and the passion of this game is not only wanting to win for myself, but wanting to win for this organization. It's been, well, damn long enough." Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League Dallas Cowboys recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
Eagles email survey to season-ticket holders about new stadium, renovations at Lincoln Financial Field
In an email to season-ticket holders on Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles sent a survey about potential renovations to Lincoln Financial Field or the possibility of a brand new stadium. "As we look to the future, we're committed to delivering the best-in-class gameday experience for Philadelphia Eagles fans," the email read. "To help guide this vision, we're exploring potential updates to Lincoln Financial Field — including both renovation options and the possibility of a brand new stadium in the region." The Eagles' lease with the city is set to expire in 2032. The survey sent to fans comes as Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie expressed potential interest in bringing a Super Bowl to Philadelphia, but that would require adding a retractable roof to the stadium. "I don't have a strong opinion on it, because you're torn," Lurie told CBS Sports at Super Bowl media night earlier this year. "I love outdoor football. I love it. I love the cold games. I like the hot games. I like the snow games. On the other hand, Philadelphia deserves to host the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, and lots of great events. It's an incredible sports city, so yes, you got to balance all those things." The Linc opened in 2003, and the 2025 season will be the 23rd football season at the stadium. In that span, the Birds have gone to four Super Bowls and won two. The Eagles have done renovations to the Linc since opening, but they would need a roof to host an event like the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl hasn't been hosted in an open-air stadium with cold weather since it was at MetLife Stadium in 2014. The Linc recently hosted the FIFA Club World Cup and will host the World Cup in 2026, and the city will host other events like NCAA Tournament games and the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. The South Philly Sports Complex is set to undergo a makeover over the next several years and that could include a new Eagles stadium if the team decides to go that route. Earlier this year, the Flyers and Sixers announced they would open a new shared arena to replace the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers had initially pushed to build a new arena in Center City, but the deal fell through. In the last 10 years, four NFL teams — the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings — have all opened new stadiums. Each of them are either a dome or have a retractable roof. Philadelphia's NFC East rival, the Washington Commanders, is also working to build a new stadium.
![Dak Prescott is "[expletive] motivated" to lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnbcsports.brightspotcdn.com%2Fdims4%2Fdefault%2F1853ebf%2F2147483647%2Fstrip%2Ftrue%2Fcrop%2F8640x4860%2B0%2B0%2Fresize%2F1440x810!%2Fquality%2F90%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fnbc-sports-production-nbc-sports.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%252Fbrightspot%252Fac%252F41%252F72058c8f447282ca95c1155ec9c0%252Fhttps-api-imagn.com%252Frest%252Fdownload%252FimageID%253D26687652&w=3840&q=100)
![Dak Prescott is "[expletive] motivated" to lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fnbcsports.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
NBC Sports
25 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Dak Prescott is "[expletive] motivated" to lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl
On the day the Cowboys reported to training camp, left guard Tyler Smith made headlines when he said the Super Bowl is a 'realistic goal.' The Cowboys, of course, haven't played in an NFC Championship Game since 1995, which was their most recent Super Bowl appearance. New coach Brian Schottenheimer has echoed Smith's words, and quarterback Dak Prescott called it the goal and expectation every year despite the drought. 'Hell yeah. If [Smith] doesn't believe it, or anybody in that locker room doesn't don't believe it, then I would ask him to get out,' Prescott said Thursday, via Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. 'Schotty said it day one we showed up. If you don't want to win the Super Bowl, don't think we can win a Super Bowl, then don't come to Oxnard and you're in the wrong place. We know the standard when you wear the star. We know the expectations. And I credit Schotty for not shying away from it. I don't think anybody's ever heard me shy away from it. So it's just making sure everybody understands that. We have to think that. We have to manifest that. I appreciate Tyler for saying it and believing it.' Prescott heads into this 10th season with high expectations and the burden of a 2-5 postseason record. 'What I've done or accomplished really doesn't hold any weight to me,' Prescott said. 'That's the true fucking motivation. That's the truth . . . in your stomach. Like that's what's in your gut. It's obvious that I don't [have a Super Bowl] so it's not like, 'Oh my God, somebody knows there's a secret.' Like, my secrets out. No, fuck that. 'That's what pushes me to be better each and every day, and that's what I wanted. That's not just for myself. It's for everybody. You've got to love when your expectations align and your standards align with not only the coaches, the front office, but the fans as well. I think that's the great part about playing with the Cowboys is it says you're as good as your last game. Period. What are you doing for us now? And when your last games are playoff losses. . . . That's obvious. That's what sits on me, and it should sit on fans, too.'
