Bryan Braman and his daughters in 2018.Credit : Patrick Smith/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Bryan Braman initially didn’t tell his daughters that he had been diagnosed with cancer
Family friend Bill Jones tells PEOPLE that Braman had been “fighting” cancer for nearly a year
Braman, who played in the NFL for seven years, died on Thursday, July 17

When Bryan Braman was diagnosed with cancer, he resisted sharing the news of his medical condition with his daughters, a close family friend tells PEOPLE.

The Super Bowl LII champion, who died last week at the age of 38, had been “fighting” cancer for nearly a year, Bill Jones tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

“He didn’t want to let his kids or his ex know about it,” Jones, 52, says. “He thought at first that he could beat the cancer without everybody helping him. And he just didn’t know how aggressive this was.”

He adds, “And unfortunately, he had so much pride that he didn’t want them knowing.”

Bryan Braman.Christian Petersen/Getty

Jones, who organized a GoFundMe to help with Braman’s expenses, says he started the fundraiser because the former athlete needed help with day-to-day expenses. Braman’s cancer treatment was not covered by insurance, Jones explains, and money from his seven-year NFL career was “tied up” in investments.

The Spokane, Wash. native shared 8-year-old and 11-year-old daughters with ex Cheyenne Fisher, who spoke to PEOPLE last week about Braman’s lasting impact on their children. When the linebacker and the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, he was photographed cradling them in his arms on the field after the game.

“Our girls understand that he is in a better place and without pain so they are at peace,” Fisher told PEOPLE exclusively on Friday, July 18. “In their loss they have gained an amazing guardian angel.”

Jones, too, is mourning the loss of a longtime friend whose “mama’s boy” personality belied his 6-foot-5-inch hulking frame.