Brigance was a beloved Ravens figure who played a key role in their Super Bowl XXXV championship team.
After retiring, Brigance returned to the Ravens in a mentorship role, earning national recognition for player development.
Brigance and his wife founded a nonprofit to support those living with ALS, which he battled with faith and grace.
Source: Rob Carr / Getty
The Baltimore Ravens announced Monday that legendary linebacker, special teams standout and longtime organization leader O.J. Brigance has died at the age of 56 following a 19-year battle with ALS.
The Ravens said Brigance was a beloved member of the organization whose impact extended far beyond the football field. Through his work with players, coaches and staff, Brigance became a source of guidance, strength and inspiration throughout the franchise.
Brigance first made his mark in Baltimore with the Canadian Football League’s Baltimore Stallions, helping the team capture the 1995 Grey Cup championship.
He later returned to Baltimore as a member of the Ravens and played a key role on the franchise’s Super Bowl XXXV championship team during the 2000 season. Brigance, a linebacker and special teams standout, recorded the first tackle of the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory.
His seven-year NFL playing career ended after the 2002 season, but his relationship with the Ravens continued. The team announced that Brigance returned to the organization in a personnel and player engagement role, where he became a trusted mentor to generations of Ravens players.
His work in player development earned national recognition, with the Ravens receiving the NFL’s Best Overall Player Development Program award in both 2005 and 2006.
Brigance was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS, in 2007. Despite the disease progressively limiting his physical abilities, he continued working with the organization and remained a visible presence at the Ravens’ facility and throughout the Baltimore community.
Following his diagnosis, Brigance and his wife, Chanda, founded the Brigance Brigade Foundation. The nonprofit has worked to support people living with ALS and their families by helping provide equipment, support services, resources and assistance while also raising awareness about the disease.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in the team’s announcement that the organization was devastated by Brigance’s death, describing him as a Ravens legend, mentor and beloved figure throughout Baltimore. Bisciotti also pointed to Brigance’s passion on the field, welcoming personality and years of service to the community and the fight against ALS.
Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome remembered Brigance as one of the most genuine people he had ever known. Newsome said Brigance became a hero in Baltimore before his ALS diagnosis and an even greater inspiration through the faith, determination and grace he displayed during his battle with the disease.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said the Ravens were blessed to have Brigance as a teammate, friend and brother for more than two decades. DeCosta credited Brigance with inspiring others through his humility, determination, optimism and love for people.
