Latest news with #SeanStellato
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Inside Bryan Braman's heartbreaking final weeks after Super Bowl winner's tragic death from cancer at 38
The final weeks of NFL player Bryan Braman's life have been revealed following his tragic death earlier this week. Braman, a former NFL defensive end and member of the Super Bowl LII-champion Philadelphia Eagles, died on July 17 at the age of 38 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in February. It has now been revealed that the former linebacker cherished his final moments with the people he loved the most - his daughters. Braman's agent, Sean Stellato, revealed to People that his client's daughters, Blakely, 11, and Marlowe, eight, 'spent the last two weeks with him when he was dying.' 'He loved his two girls so, so much. They were everything, his legacy,' he said of the late NFL player. Stellato, who described Braman as a 'true football brother,' hailed the strength of his character. 'I would say, a warrior in every sense, on the field and in life. He faced every battle with unshakable grit and heart,' said Stellato. 'And his passing really leaves a void, not only in the football community, but in the spirit of really every underdog who ever had to fight to play this game of football.' 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. Braman said after retirement that winning the Super Bowl and his daughters were 'the three greatest accomplishments in my life.' The Eagles issued a statement Thursday. 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bryan Braman,' it read. '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, a special teams ace in his playing days, underwent multiple surgeries in the Seattle area this year. Former Texans teammate J.J. Watt was among the contributors to his GoFundMe effort, raising around $90,000 to help cover medical costs.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bryan Braman, former Eagles and Texans linebacker, dies after cancer battle
Bryan Braman, a former Houston Texans and Eagles linebacker who won the Super Bowl with Philadelphia in 2018, has died after a battle with a rare, aggressive form of cancer, his agent Sean Stellato confirmed Thursday.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Super Bowl champion Bryan Braman dies at age of 38 after cancer diagnosis
Bryan Braman, who helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl in the 2017 season, has died at the age of 38. Braman's agent, Sean Stellato, said the linebacker, who also played for the Houston Texans, died on Thursday. He is survived by his two daughters, Blakely and Marlowe, aged 11 and eight. He once described his seven NFL seasons, his Super Bowl win and his daughters as 'the three greatest accomplishments in my life'. According to a GoFundMe page set up to help Braman with his medical expenses, he was diagnosed with cancer in February. The page had raised $88,000 and many of his former teammates had given donations, including JJ Watt, who contributed $10,000. Qualified NFL players are eligible for health insurance for five years after they retire. Braman's final season came in 2017, with the Super Bowl his last ever professional game. 'Bryan, people saw this enormous human being, but his heart was big as his body,' Stellato told Houston's KPRC 2 on Thursday. 'His spirit was so motivating. He was so real and genuine with everybody. That made him special. '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.' The 6ft 5in, 230lb Braman joined the Texans in 2011 as an undrafted free agent after stints with Long Beach City College, Idaho and West Texas A&M in college. He soon established himself on special teams thanks to his fearless play – he once made a tackle despite losing his helmet – and was known for his punt blocking ability. One of Braman's most memorable moments came during the Eagles' Super Bowl run, not just for a highlight play, but for the way he rebounded from a costly mistake. In the second quarter of the divisional-round win over the Falcons, Braman dove to touch a live punted ball, a blunder that gave Atlanta a short field and led to their only touchdown of the game. He didn't have to wait long for redemption. On the very next Falcons punt, Braman surged through the line and tipped the ball, forcing a 22-yard shank. Although he was initially flagged for running into the kicker, he immediately told officials he had made contact with the ball – a claim confirmed by replay, which wiped out the penalty. 'It was big for me,' he said after the game. 'I was able to keep my head in the game and turn it around.' The Eagles turned the short field into a 53-yard field goal by Jake Elliott, trimming the deficit to 10–9 just before half-time and swinging momentum in a game they would go on to win 15–10. For Braman, it was a fitting example of his mentality: fearless, resilient and team-first. 'I just had to let it go and do my job,' he said. 'If I let it affect me, then I start reaching. That's when other bad things start to happen.' He recorded one tackle in the Super Bowl itself as the Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33 to win their first NFL championship since the 1960 season.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles Saddened By Death Of Super Bowl Champion
Eagles Saddened By Death Of Super Bowl Champion originally appeared on The Spun. The Philadelphia Eagles are saddened by the passing of a 38-year-old former Super Bowl champion on Thursday. Bryan Braman, a former NFL linebacker who played for the Eagles and Texas, died on Thursday. He had been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The former NFL linebacker had undergone multiple surgeries while receiving treatment in Seattle, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help his family cover expenses. The former NFL player's agent, Sean Stellato, confirmed his passing on Thursday. "Bryan, people saw this enormous human being, but his heart was big as his body," Stellato told KPRC 2 in Houston. "His spirit was so motivating. He was so real and genuine with everybody. That made him special. "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." Braman played in the NFL rom 2011-17. "You look at his journey and beating the odds to make it to the NFL after going undrafted," Stellato said. "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." The Eagles released a statement on the former Super Bowl champion's death on Thursday. Our thoughts continue to be with the friends and family members of everyone involved. May the former NFL linebacker rest in peace. Eagles Saddened By Death Of Super Bowl Champion first appeared on The Spun on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bryan Braman, an undrafted free agent who became a Super Bowl champion, dies at 38
Former NFL linebacker and special teams player Bryan Braman, who rose from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl champion, died Thursday morning after a battle with cancer. He was 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. Read more: World's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, dies in a hit-and-run at 114 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." Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
