CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cleveland Browns executive Bryan Wiedmeier has died following a four-year battle with brain cancer. He was 57.
The team announced Wiedmeier's passing on Tuesday night. Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam called Wiedmeier ''a special person'' and ''exactly the type of person you want in your organization and on a personal level as a friend.''
Wiedmeier was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer in 2012 and given 15 months to live. He defied medical predictions and lasted four more years. One week after undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed in 2012, Wiedmeier, who spent 35 years in the NFL, attended a Browns game and was awarded a game ball by then-coach Pat Shurmur after Cleveland beat San Diego.