O.J. Brigance

Orenthial James Brigance was born on 29 September 1969 in Houston, Texas. His mother named him after her favorite football player, O. J. Simpson, adding an "i" for originality. At Willowridge High School he played center. Only Rice University offered him a Division I scholarship, converting him to linebacker because he was considered too small for Division I center. He became a three-year starter for the Owls, finished as Rice's career tackles leader with 367 at the time of his death, and graduated with a degree in managerial studies in 1992. He became a Christian in college.

Undrafted in 1991, he began professionally in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions (1991-1993), including a 20-sack season in 1993 that earned CFL West All-Star recognition. He then joined the Baltimore Stallions (1994-1995), becoming a CFL All-Star in 1995 and helping Baltimore become the only American-based team to win the Grey Cup. Miami Dolphins signed him in 1996. Over four Dolphins seasons he was twice voted a team captain, received the Ed Block Courage Award in 1999 after a severe back injury, and was honored with the NFL Players Association Unsung Hero Award the same year. Community work in Miami included Habitat for Humanity, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and a daily food bank.

In 2000 the Baltimore Ravens signed him. As special-teams captain he recorded a team-high haul of special-teams tackles in the playoff run and made the first tackle of Super Bowl XXXV on the opening kickoff against the New York Giants, finishing with four special-teams tackles in the championship game. He is the only player in CFL and NFL history to win both a Grey Cup and a Super Bowl for teams in the same city. Brief later stops followed with the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots before his playing career ended after 2002. He returned to the Ravens in 2004 in player development / player engagement and remained a senior adviser until his death, earning NFL recognition including the Winston/Shell Award (2005) and Best Overall Player Development Program awards (2005-06).

In May 2007, at about age 37, Brigance was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Doctors' early prognosis often centered on a few years of life; he far outlived those expectations, living nearly 19 years with the disease. With his wife Chanda (married around 1995), he founded the Brigance Brigade Foundation to equip, encourage, and empower people living with ALS through support services, equipment, and resource guidance. He became an ALS ambassador for the Robert Packard Center at Johns Hopkins. ALS eventually left him unable to walk or speak; he used a wheelchair, attendant care, and eye-tracking communication, yet continued reporting to the Ravens facility and mentoring players. Ray Lewis said in 2012 that Brigance was "the one thing that lets me not complain about anything."

In 2013 he co-wrote Strength of a Champion with Peter Schrager (foreword by Ray Lewis), reflecting on football lessons and faith under ALS. CBS Sunday Morning featured him that year saying, via speech device, "I learned that quitting is never an option." He and Chanda took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge wave, challenging NFL figures including Roger Goodell to create annual ALS Awareness Day. Honors included the George Halas Award (2015) and the NCAA Inspiration Award (2016, shared with Lauren Hill). In a 2023 Banner interview he said his physical capacities were far from what they once were, yet he was "stronger than I have ever been mentally and spiritually." To AP he called the Brigade "the most significant achievement of my life because of my ability to touch the lives of others."

Brigance died on 17 August 2026 in Baltimore at age 56 after complications of ALS. The Ravens announced the death the same day. Owner Steve Bisciotti called him a beloved legend and mentor who made the first tackle of the 2000 Super Bowl. Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta, Dick Cass, Brian Billick, and John Harbaugh issued tributes stressing faith, smile, and refusal to be defined by anger at the disease. Former clubs including the Dolphins, Patriots, and BC Lions publicly mourned him. The Brigance Brigade said it would continue his mission. Resting place details were not made public in major initial obituaries.