A Houston native who became one of professional football’s most courageous figures after a championship career has passed away. Former NFL linebacker O.J. Brigance died Monday, August 17, 2026, from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 56 years old and had fought the disease for 19 years.
His legacy stretches across two nations, two professional leagues, and decades of service to the franchise where he achieved his greatest triumph.
The Only Player to Accomplish This Feat
No other football player can claim what Brigance achieved in Baltimore. He stands alone as the first and only athlete to win both a Grey Cup championship and a Super Bowl in the same city. His first title came with the Baltimore Stallions in 1995, when the Canadian Football League had briefly expanded into the United States. That team defeated the Calgary Stampeders 37-20 at Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan, to capture the Grey Cup.
Years later, he returned to claim football’s ultimate prize in that same city, completing a unique double that forever tied him to Baltimore Ravens history.
Seven NFL Seasons
Brigance’s professional career spanned four NFL franchises over seven seasons. The Miami Dolphins employed him from 1996 to 1999, then he joined Baltimore in 2000. His tenure with the St. Louis Rams lasted from 2001 through 2002 before finishing his career with the New England Patriots in 2002.
He appeared in 98 career games and posted 42 combined tackles, recording 33 unassisted takedowns and nine assisted tackles. Brigance forced three fumbles while recovering two others, both during victories. His first recovery occurred December 7, 1997, when Miami defeated the Detroit Lions 33-30. The second came September 24, 2000, as the Ravens crushed the Cincinnati Bengals 37-0.
Super Bowl XXXV Triumph
The Ravens’ 2000 championship run became known as their “Super Journey.” Baltimore endured five straight games without scoring an offensive touchdown but remained united despite the offensive struggles.
On January 28, 2001, Baltimore crushed New York 34-7 in Tampa, and Brigance recorded the game’s first tackle on the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XXXV. Ray Lewis earned both the game’s MVP honor and Defensive Player of the Year while anchoring a historically dominant defense. The unit tied a championship record with four interceptions, and Baltimore became just the third team in NFL history to avoid any turnovers in a Super Bowl.
A stunning 36-second stretch produced three touchdowns on three consecutive plays totaling 21 points: Duane Starks returned an interception 49 yards, the Giants’ Ron Dixon ran back a kickoff 97 yards, and Jermaine Lewis answered with an 84-yard kickoff return. ESPN would later rank those consecutive kickoff returns as the 35th-greatest Super Bowl moment.
That championship roster featured emerging talents like Jamal Lewis, Chris McAlister and Duane Starks alongside veterans including Rod Woodson, Rob Burnett, Shannon Sharpe, Matt Stover, Michael McCrary and Jonathan Ogden, with quarterback Trent Dilfer leading the offense. Dilfer returned to Tampa Bay for the title game. After the victory, owner Art Modell hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and dedicated it to supporters.
Modell told fans across the Baltimore area the championship was theirs, saying, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Hundreds of thousands of fans braved an icy downpour to line the streets for the championship parade. The team traveled to the White House that June for a meeting with president George W. Bush. Ravens public relations staff Francine Lubera and Kevin Byrne chronicled the season in “Super Journey: Diary of the Ravens World Championship Season,” released in July of 2001.
Two Decades of Service and Advocacy
Brigance joined the Ravens’ front office in 2004, beginning more than 20 years as the team’s senior adviser to player development. His work helped Baltimore win the NFL’s top honor for player development programs in both 2005 and 2006.
In 2007, at age 37, doctors diagnosed him with ALS and gave him two to five years to live. He continued reporting to the team facility in a motorized wheelchair, later using eye-tracking technology to communicate after losing his ability to speak. Together with his wife, Chanda, he established the Brigance Brigade Foundation, which has raised in excess of $1.8 million to provide equipment, encouragement and empowerment for those battling the disease.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti called him “a beloved legend, mentor and man to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him.” Chanda, his spouse for over 30 years, survives him. He leaves behind a memory not only of championships in two leagues and two countries, but of unwavering courage that inspired countless lives beyond football.