was one of the smartest players I've ever seen. He really knew how the game worked." Personal While Braxton and his eventual wife, Pam, were dating in college, she became pregnant, and the couple decided it was best they gave their child up for adoption. In 1997, Pam met their biological daughter, who was then a professor at Southern Illinois University. Jim Braxton died on July 28, 1986 due to lung cancer, at the age of 37. He died at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York where he was undergoing treatment. He is survived by his wife, Pam, and two sons. His nephew, Landon Turner, played offensive lineman for the North Carolina Tar Heels. O.J. Simpson offered these goodbye words to Braxton: "I've lost a teammate; I've lost a dear friend. Bubby was my protector on the field, my companion off it. What he meant to my career is impossible to calculate, but I know many of the things I achieved wouldn't have been possible without him." References External links Jim Braxton at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1949 births 1986 deaths American football running backs Players of American football from Pennsylvania People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania West Virginia Mountaineers football players Buffalo Bills players Miami Dolphins players Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state)