O.J. Brigance: Super Bowl Champion and Inspiring ALS Advocate Dies at 56

O.J. Brigance was an American football linebacker and Baltimore Ravens executive best known for winning a Super Bowl with the team and for his courageous 19-year battle with ALS. Born Orenthial James Brigance on September 29, 1969, in Houston, Texas, he played college football at Rice University before beginning a pro career in the Canadian Football League.

Brigance won the Grey Cup with the Baltimore Stallions in 1995 and was a CFL All-Star that season. He later played for the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens, and won Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens after the 2000 season. He is the only player to win both a CFL and an NFL championship in the same city. In 2016 he shared the NCAA Inspiration Award for his ALS advocacy.

Brigance was diagnosed with ALS in 2007 and, with his wife Chanda, founded the Brigance Brigade Foundation to support people living with the disease. He worked for the Ravens in player development until the end. The team announced his death on August 17, 2026, at age 56. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti called him a "beloved legend."

Achievements: Won the Grey Cup with the Baltimore Stallions (1995), CFL All-Star (1995), won Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens (2000 season), shared the NCAA Inspiration Award for ALS advocacy (2016).

Birth: September 29, 1969 - Houston, Texas.

Profession: Professional football linebacker and team executive.

Interesting Facts: Brigance went undrafted in 1991 and fought his way into the pro ranks. Doctors initially gave him five years to live after his ALS diagnosis, but he lived 19 more years.