Ex-Ravens Star Who Helped Them Win The Super Bowl Has Tragically Died After Battle With ALS
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Baltimore Ravens are mourning the loss of OJ Brigance, a franchise legend who spent 19 years fighting ALS with a courage that came to define the organization itself.
Brigance died this week at age 56.
He had served as the heartbeat of the Ravens for more than two decades, first as a player and later as a mentor who kept showing up for work despite the physical toll of his disease.
A Career That Began Before He Ever Reached Baltimore
Brigance built his football legacy well before he became a fixture in Baltimore’s front office. The Houston native first arrived in the city through the Canadian Football League’s Baltimore Stallions, helping the team win the 1995 Grey Cup championship.
He later returned to Baltimore as a linebacker and special teams standout on the Ravens’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2000, setting the tone early by making the first tackle of Super Bowl XXXV.
His seven-year NFL career wrapped up after the 2002 season, but Brigance never really left the organization. He transitioned into a personnel role focused on player engagement, a job that earned him the NFL’s Best Overall Player Development Program award in back-to-back years from 2005 to 2006.
Everything changed in 2007, when Brigance received an ALS diagnosis. Rather than step back, he and his wife, Chanda, launched the Brigance Brigade Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness to fight ALS.
The foundation has spent nearly two decades helping improve the quality of life for ALS patients and their families, providing access to support services, equipment, and resource guidance along the way.
Tributes Poured In From Across The Organization
The Ravens paid tribute to Brigance via their official website on Monday afternoon.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti called Brigance “a beloved legend, mentor and man to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him,” pointing to his passionate play and his role as one of the franchise’s first heroes.
Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome described him as “one of the most genuine, sincere people I have ever known,” while Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta reflected on 22 years of friendship, saying Brigance never once showed anger or frustration over his diagnosis.
Former head coach John Harbaugh remembered Brigance as a man of deep faith who met an extraordinarily difficult purpose “through the great glory of God.”
Former head coach Brian Billick and his wife, Kim, called Brigance the person they would point to first when asked who best represents what the Ravens organization aspires to be.
Brigance is survived by his wife, Chanda, and the entire Brigance family, who the Ravens organization says remain in their thoughts during this difficult time.
