ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said his brother-in-law died suddenly over the weekend, leaving Orlovsky’s sister and three sons to rebuild without a husband and father.
Orlovsky, 43, posted the news on X on Thursday and asked followers to help the family through a public fundraiser. The former quarterback now works as an NFL voice for ESPN and ABC, and he put the private loss in plain public view.
The Post reported that Federico Lascano, Orlovsky’s brother-in-law and his sister’s partner since college, died suddenly. The cause was listed as unknown. Absolute dates and a location were not given beyond “over the weekend,” with Orlovsky’s post landing on Thursday.
Left behind are Orlovsky’s sister, who was not named in the account, and their three sons: Brayden, 18; Cameron, 16; and Colton, 11. In Orlovsky’s telling, the household went in one stroke from two parents to one income and one adult holding the line.
Orlovsky did not dress it up. He wrote that the family had no language big enough for the loss, then described what his sister faces next.
Orlovsky wrote on X:
"There are no words to describe the heartbreak of losing a husband, a partner, and a father so suddenly,"
He followed with the practical crush that hits when grief and bills arrive together.
Orlovsky added:
"In the midst of trying to process this devastating loss, my sister is now facing the overwhelming reality of navigating life as a solo parent and a single-income household, all while helping her boys cope with the loss of their dad."
That is the core of the appeal. Not a press strategy. A sister raising three boys after their dad is gone, and a brother asking people to help her stay afloat while the boys absorb the hit.
Orlovsky shared a GoFundMe set up for the Lascano family after Federico’s death. By Thursday morning, the campaign had taken in more than $65,000 toward a $100,000 goal. The money was framed for family bills and costs, plus future education for the boys.
He tied the ask to a simple standard: sudden death should not also mean financial free fall for a widow and three kids.
Orlovsky wrote:
"No family should have to face this kind of heartbreak, and no one should have to worry about how they will manage financially while trying to put the pieces of their lives back together,"
He closed by thanking people already stepping in.
Orlovsky said:
"Thank you for showing up for my sister and my nephews when they need it most. Our family is heartbroken, but we are so grateful for the love and support surrounding them during this unimaginable time."
Fans know Orlovsky from the booth more than the pocket now. A Connecticut native, he came out of UConn and went in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent 12 seasons in the league with stops that included the Lions, Texans, Colts, Buccaneers, and Rams before retiring in 2017.
He signed with ESPN in 2018 as an NFL and college football analyst, later added ABC work, and took a multi-year extension in 2025. Viewers see him on shows such as “NFL Live,” “Get Up,” and “First Take.” Thursday’s post had nothing to do with matchups or draft boards. It was a brother putting a family’s emergency in front of a large audience and asking that audience to respond.
What remains unclear is the official manner of death, the place it happened, and the sister’s full name. No government statement or obituary was included in the account. What is clear is the shape of the need Orlovsky described: three sons without their dad, a mother suddenly running the home alone, and a fundraiser already moving because strangers and fans chose to help.
When a father is gone overnight, the first net that matters is family, neighbors, and people who open their wallets without a mandate, and that is exactly where this plea belongs.
