ESPN star Dan Orlovsky shares ‘unimaginable’ family tragedy

Dan Orlovsky shared Thursday an “unimaginable” tragedy he and his family are enduring.

The NFL analyst for ESPN and ABC revealed that his brother-in-law, Federico Lascano, died suddenly over the weekend, leaving behind Orlovsky’s sister and their three sons — Brayden, 18, Cameron, 16, and Colton 11.

“There are no words to describe the heartbreak of losing a husband, a partner, and a father so suddenly,” he wrote on X. “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.”

Orlovsky, 43, shared a GoFundMe link, asking for help — both in donations and sharing the fundraiser — for his sister and her children during this “incredibly painful and uncertain time.”

“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 wrote.

“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.”

At the time of writing Thursday morning, the fundraiser has collected over $65,000 toward its $100,000 goal toward helping with family bills and costs, and future education.

The cause of death is unknown for Lascano, who has been Orlovsky’s sister’s partner since college.

Orlovsky, a Connecticut native, was drafted as a fifth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of UConn.

He served primarily as a backup quarterback during his 12-year career with stints with the Lions, Texans, Colts, Buccaneers and Rams.

He retired from the league in 2017 and signed with ESPN in 2018 as an NFL and college football analyst.

Orlovsky later signed a multi-year extension in 2025, and appears on “NFL Live”, “Get Up” and “First Take” among others.