Bryan Braman left the NFL as a champion. Seven years later, he’s battling again – this time for his life.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the former linebacker as he deals with “a very rare form of cancer.”

Since being diagnosed in February, Braman’s cancer has been treated with surgeries, chemotherapy and, most recently, CAR T-cell therapy, a procedure used to reprogram white blood cells for cancer fighting. But the GoFundMe page reported on June 20 the cancer was “now growing around his vital organs.”

“At Stellato Sports, Bryan Braman has always stood for strength, resilience and leadership,” Braman’s agent, Sean Stellato, told KPRC-TV in Houston. “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.”

Braman entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie from West Texas A&M. He played three seasons with the Houston Texans and four with the Philadelphia Eagles. During his 97 NFL regular-season games, Braman was on the field for 117 defensive snaps and 1,927 special-teams plays.

In the Texans’ 29-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16, 2012, Braman blocked a punt by Pat McAfee and returned it 8 yards for his only NFL touchdown.

In his final season, Braman rejoined the Eagles for the last three games of the regular season, then played in three postseason contests, including Philadelphia’s 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018. That was the final game of Braman’s career.

The GoFundMe account had an initial goal of $25,000. At 10 a.m. CDT Monday, the fund had raised $83,662, with some of Braman’s NFL teammates listed among the donors, including three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who contributed $10,000.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.