O.J. Brigance died Monday August 17 at the age of 56. The Baltimore Ravens announced his passing. "We are devastated by the awful news that we have lost O.J. Brigance," owner Steve Bisciotti said. "O.J. was a beloved legend, mentor and man to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him."
Brigance won Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens in January 2001, making the first tackle in franchise Super Bowl history by running down the opening kickoff against the New York Giants.
He had also won the CFL's Grey Cup with the Baltimore Stallions in 1995, making him the only player in history to win a championship in both leagues for the same city.
In 2007, at 37 years old, doctors told him he had two to five years to live. He had been diagnosed with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, which progressively destroys the nerve cells that control muscle function.
Brigance outlasted that prognosis by 14 years. He and his wife Chanda immediately founded the Brigance Brigade Foundation to support and empower others with ALS. He continued working for the Ravens as an adviser in player engagement, showing up in the building, mentoring players, refusing to disappear.
"We never once saw O.J. angry or frustrated by his disease," Bisciotti said. "Instead, we all witnessed a hero." He was 56 years old and he fought every one of them.