thursday morning

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.

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.”

Liverpool FC and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his brother, fellow soccer player André Silva, died in a car crash early Thursday morning, Spanish authorities said Thursday. Jota was 28, and Silva was 25.

The brothers were found dead near Zamora, Spain, the country’s Civil Guard confirmed to the Associated Press. Police are investigating the cause of the accident, which occurred just after midnight when the Lamborghini the brothers were riding in veered off the road and burst into flames.

No other vehicles were involved and the brothers were alone in the car, police said. It’s unclear which brother was driving.

“We have lost two champions,” Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença said in a statement. “The passing of Diogo and André Silva represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honor their legacy every day.”

Football fans stand next to tributes left Thursday at Anfield Stadium in memory of Liverpool player Diogo Jota.

(Ian Hodgson / Associated Press)

Jota, whose full name was Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, was known as a clinical finisher. Early in his professional career, Jota played for such teams as Paços de Ferreira, Atlético Madrid and the Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He signed with Liverpool in 2020 and went on to score 65 goals in 182 games for the Reds. The organization said in a statement that it is “devastated” by Jota’s death.

“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss,” the team wrote.

Lakers star LeBron James, a minority Liverpool owner, referenced the team’s unofficial anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as he paid tribute to Jota on X.

“My prayers goes out to his loved ones during this time!” James wrote. “May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!”

Jota played nearly 50 games for Portugal as well. He made the 2022 World Cup squad, but was unable to play because of injury. Jota’s final match was Portugal’s 5-3 win in a penalty shoot-out over Spain in the Nations League final June 8. About two weeks later, Jota married Rute Cardoso, who was his childhood sweetheart and mother of their three young children.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Jota’s Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo wrote in Portuguese on X. “Just now we were together in the national team, just now you had gotten married. My condolences to your family, to your wife and to your children. I wish them all the strength in the world. I know that you will always be with them. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, left, celebrates with Portugal teammate Diogo Jota during a Euro 2020 qualifying match in Luxembourg in November 2019.

(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)

Silva was a midfielder for the Liga Portugal 2 squad Penafiel.

A moment of silence for the brothers will be observed at all UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday, including the Spain-Portugal game Thursday at noon PDT.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.