HOUSTON – Retired former Texans linebacker Bryan Braman, a popular special-teams ace known for his aggressive, hell-bent-for-leather style of play, is battling a rare, aggressive, and recurring form of cancer.
The medical situation is extremely serious, according to his longtime agent Sean Stellato. Braman has undergone treatment in Seattle and is with his family. He has had multiple surgeries.
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Several former teammates have donated to his GoFundMe page,, including J.J. Watt giving $10,000, $2,500 from Duane Brown, and $1,000 from Brian Cushing and former Eagles teammates Rasul Douglas, Brent Celek and Emmanuel Acho.
Over $32,000 has been raised as of Thursday night.
“At Stellato Sports, Bryan Braman has always stood for strength, resilience and leadership,” Stellato told KPRC 2. “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.”
William Jones, a friend who organized the GoFundMe page, shared more details about how dire the situation is for Braman, 38, who underwent CAR T-cell therapy to genetically modify white blood cells to combat the cancer."
“With the cancer that Bryan has, which is a VERY rare form of cancer, treatment had the highest chance of success as the cells are reprogrammed to fight this cancer that is within Bryan,” Jones wrote. “His cells did re-infuse themselves and did in fact start reproducing within his bone marrow. At first, the mass did start to shrink, but then the cancer started fighting back. At this point, Bryan has had to start having chemo treatments that are designed for the treatment program Bryan is in. 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. The doctors are now concerned because of his treatment, his chemo options are very limited. They have tried all of the various treatment options, and unfortunately, none of them are working against this cancer. But Bryan has not given up. He is looking into other trial treatment programs, and is determined to never give up.”
Braman, a native of Spokane, Washington who dealt with homelessness in high school, was recommended to the Texans by former assistant coach Bobby King. King knew Braman from his time playing at West Texas A&M.
Braman beat the odds to make the 2011 53-man roster, earning a spot primarily for his work on special teams and once made a tackle against the Tennessee Titans despite losing his helmet during the play. Braman was named as a Pro Bowl alternate for his work in kick coverage after blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
He played for former Texans coach Gary Kubiak.
Braman earned a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles and was again a mainstay on special teams.
Braman (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) played for the New Orleans Saints. Before enrolling at West Texas A&M, he played at Long Beach City College and Idaho.
Braman played in 97 career NFL games, including three seasons for the Texans, and recorded 56 career tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and two fumble recoveries in seven seasons.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
