Former NFL player Bryan Braman, who won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. 

Braman’s longtime agent, Sean Stellato, said that the 38-year-old is currently ‘in the fight of his life.’

“At Stellato Sports, Bryan Braham has always stood for strength, resilience and leadership,” Stellato told ClicktoHouston.com. “He is a pillar and a staple of the underdog. Now, in the face of cancer, he embodies those qualities more than ever. If there is one person that I know that can beat cancer, it is Bryan Braman, who I have always considered family. He’s in the fight of his life. Please support Bryan and keep him in your prayers.”

Braman’s friend, Williams Jones, has started a GoFund me to help offset some of the medical costs that Braman has incurred over the past few months. According to the fundraiser page, Braman recently underwent CAR T-cell therapy in Seattle. 

“Bryan has had to start having chemo treatments that are designed for the treatment program Bryan is in,” Jones wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Bryan has had to undergo several surgical procedures. The main problem has been that Bryan has not been able to recover from the procedures because of his lowered immunity due to all of these treatments. By the time he was able to recover so he could continue with the chemo, the cancer has grown exponentially faster, and is is now growing around his vital organs.”

Jones noted that Braman “has not given up” and that he’s currently “looking into other trial treatment programs.”

Braman is currently back home with his family in Seattle. The GoFundMe page for Braman has raised nearly $50,000 as of Friday afternoon (July 4), which is well above the initial goal of $25,000. One of the biggest donations came from JJ Watt, who contributed $10,000 to the cause. 

Braman and Watt were teammates for three years in Houston starting when they were both rookies in 2011. Although Watt was a first-round pick, Braman entered the NFL has a long shot to make the Texans‘ roster when he signed as an undrafted free agent. Not only did he make the team, but he ended up spending three seasons in Houston (2011-13) before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. 

During his time with the Eagles, Braman played in 51 games over three and a half seasons. The final game of his career came in February 2018 when the Eagles beat the New England Patriots, 41-33, in Super Bowl LII. Braman recorded one special teams tackle in the win. 

Several of Braman’s former teammates — besides Watt — have donated to his cause, including Duane Brown, and Brian Cushing, who both played with him in Houston. There are also quite a few former Eagles teammates who have donated, including Rasul Douglas, Brent Celek and Emmanuel Acho.