Super Bowl champion OJ Brigance dead at 56 after battle with ALS

O.J. Brigance, a former NFL linebacker who won a Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens, died on Monday after a battle with ALS, the team said. He was 56.

Brigance played in the league from 1996 to 2002. He spent time with the Ravens, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots. He played 16 games for Baltimore in 2000 as the team went on to demolish the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Brigance was a standout player for the Rice Owls in college before he decided to turn pro. He joined the Dolphins in 1996 as an undrafted free agent and played in Miami through the 1999 season. He joined the Ravens for one season in 2000, recording 12 tackles and a fumble.

He played for the Rams and Patriots from 2001 to 2002 before stepping away from the sport.

“We have lost a very special soul in O.J. Brigance. 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,” former Ravens head coach Brian Billick and his wife Kim said in a joint statement.

“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.”