O.J. Brigance, a Houston native who starred at Rice and bucked the odds to make the NFL and later win a Super Bowl, died Monday at 57 after a long battle with ALS. (Sharon Steinmann/140113)
O.J. Brigance, a former Willowridge High School and Rice standout who later carved out an unlikely seven-season NFL career, died Monday after a 19-year battle with ALS. He was 56. The Baltimore Ravens, with whom the linebacker won the Super Bowl in 2000, announced his death Monday afternoon. "This is a tremendously sad day for Baltimore," Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. "O.J. will be remembered for his service to our community, to the Ravens and to the fight to find a cure for ALS. With heavy hearts, the Ravens organization extends our deepest condolences to (his wife) Chandra and the entire Brigance family. We are saddened by this loss, and O.J.'s spirit will remain part of this community forever." Brigance had been diagnosed in May 2007 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), a nervous system disease that eventually destroys motor functions in the brain and spinal cord. Brigance, who was confined to a wheelchair and used speech-generating devices to communicate, had worked in a front-office role with the Ravens since 2004, leading their player engagement program for years. After his ALS diagnosis, Brigance and his wife Chandra started The Brigance Brigade Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness as well as working to improve the quality of life for people with ALS, for which there is no cure. The Brigance Brigade Foundation and Rice have hosted the 1.57 Mile Championship Walk (57 was Brigance's jersey number) to raise money for charity.
O.J. Brigance was an unlikely Rice football success story after getting just one Division I offer out of high school and was an inspirational NFL figure in Baltimore. (Sharon Steinmann/140113)
Brigance beat the odds to reach the NFL. An undersized center at Willowridge, he told the Houston Chronicle in 2019 that he only had one Division I scholarship offer - from the hometown Owls. "I chose Rice University after graduating from Willowridge because they were the only Division I school to offer me a scholarship to play linebacker," Brigance wrote. "I received a couple of offers from smaller schools, but I wanted to compete against the best. The problem for me was that I played center in high school at 195 pounds, so few schools were willing to project me playing linebacker at the Division I level with no experience." With Rice, Brigance was a three-year starter from 1988-90 and twice earned All-Southwest Conference honors. He set the program's career tackle record with 367. In 2013, Brigance was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame and received the R Association's Distinguished R Award. Since 2009, the Rice football program has given out the Brigance Courage Award, which recognizes an Owls player "who embodies the qualities Brigance demonstrated during his career."
Following his ALS diagnosis, O.J. Brigance and his wife Chandra started The Brigance Brigade Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness to help find a cure for the disease. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
His pro football journey began with five seasons in the Canadian Football League, first with the BC Lions and then with the Baltimore Stallions, with whom he won a Grey Cup in 1995. He moved on to the NFL the following season, spending four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who twice named him a captain. In his final Dolphins season, the NFL Players Association honored Brigance with its "Unsung Hero Award." He joined the Ravens in 2000 and stood out on special teams for Baltimore's first Super Bowl champion. "We have lost a very special soul in O.J. Brigance," said Brian Billick, who coached Brigance in Baltimore. "O.J. has been a member of the Ravens family for over 25 years and was an inspiring symbol of grace, class, compassion and competitive competence. If asked who best represents what we all aspire to as an organization and a person, O.J. would be the first person I would point to. Our thoughts are with his family with this loss, but he will forever remain in our hearts." Brigance then played for St. Louis and New England to end his career before returning to the Ravens in a front-office capacity. His department earned the NFL's Best Overall Player Development Program award in 2005 and 2006. Brigance is survived by his wife Chandra. The couple first met in Houston and married in 1994. Subscribe There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at O.J. Brigance, former Willowridge and Rice football star, dies at 57 after long ALS battle.