“1, 2, 3, JUICE!” Any time a Baltimore Raven had a bad day, they always had one consistent figure available to hear them out. Despite a life-threatening ALS condition, O.J. Brigance didn’t tell you about his problem — because you’re having a bad day, you are the focus. And just like that, you would come out of his office a better person.

You see, he was diagnosed with ALS in 2007, with only two to five years of life expectancy. To him, though, it was just another challenge. “I understand it is life-threatening, but it is not life-ending,” he said. He wanted to bring ALS to its knees and defeat it. He braved it for 19 years, until he couldn’t.

The Baltimore Ravens announced Monday that their Super Bowl-winning linebacker and longtime executive died at 56 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It progressively attacks the nervous system and has no known cure. His condition had been worsening over the last few months. He would have celebrated his 57th birthday on September 29. Brigance is survived by his wide Chanda Minor-Brigance, and the Brigance family.

Brigance did not spend a long time with the Ravens. He was there for only one of his seven NFL seasons. But the impact he had on the team made him a legend of Baltimore. After his playing career was over, he returned to Baltimore in 2004 to work as the senior adviser for player engagement. Needless to say, he made sure he connected with everyone in the building, and it was not limited to the players or the staff.

Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert analysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

Sometimes, when the fans would gather outside the stadium ahead of their games, Brigance would move around in his wheelchair and communicate with them through his device that translated his messages. In the locker room, the former head coach John Harbaugh would stand aside as Brigance gave them the pep talk. As they rightly said, Brigance embodied what being a Raven was.

“Remember, we have to do it for a greater purpose and a greater calling than ourselves,” Brigance once told the Ravens players ahead of a game. “Let’s do it for each other. I’m honored to be a part of you.”

Within seconds, the huddle that would be cheering “each other” would start cheering, “1, 2, 3, JUICE!”

It wasn’t just the Ravens alone. Having spent time with the Steelers, New England, and Miami, Brigance was definitely someone the opponents came to meet before or after the game.

“My motivation is you,” they would say. For Brigance, the motivation was his condition itself.

O.J. Brigance lived with his motivation

Brigance’s teammate from the 2000 Ravens team, Tony Siragusa, once said that if you think of the hard times that you’ve had and multiply it by a hundred million, you’re not even close to things he’s gone through. To Brigance, that was the very thing that kept him moving forward.

“Instead of dwelling on the daunting journey that was ahead of him (Lou Gehrig), he took a moment to acknowledge the people and situations that had made him into the man he had become,” Brigance wrote in an email on July 4, 2016, the 77th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech. “I believe Mr. Gehrig understood that the people who had been the foundational support throughout his career would be the same foundational support he would need to help him in the fight against ALS.

“That is the key to advancing against life’s adversities, understanding that you have already been prepared for the fight.

“So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”

Brigance never allowed the disease to control his life. But he wanted to help the ones who were sharing the same pains. He and his wife launched the Brigance Brigade Foundation to raise money, spread awareness, and support people affected by ALS.

The foundation’s mission was to “equip, encourage, and empower” those living with the disease. Their work also earned recognition from The Baltimore Sun, which named the couple among its “Black Marylanders to Watch.”

“Of course OJ and I would not have chosen this way to be helpful to people, but guess what? It was chosen for us,” Chanda Minor-Brigance told The Guardian’s Allison Torres Burtka in 2021. “We believe that God has given us the resources and the tools to walk this journey.”

Brigance’s strength was reflected in his own story. He wrote Strength of a Champion with Peter Schrager while ALS had taken away his speech. Using an eye-gaze computer, he answered weekly questions by email, sometimes sending thousands of words at a time. He said the process was difficult but fulfilling and hoped the book would inspire others to keep pushing through adversity. He also made a clear impact off the field for the team.

His work in player development earned the Ravens the Best Overall Player Development Program award in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, the organization also won the Most Outstanding Internship Program Award. Two years later, Brigance’s efforts helped secure the Outstanding Continuing Education Program Award. He had already made a difference for the franchise in just one season with them as a player.

He joined them for the 2000 season and quickly made his mark on special teams. In Super Bowl XXXV, Brigance delivered the first tackle of the game on the opening kickoff, which the team eventually won. He was the only player to win both a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and a Grey Cup with the Baltimore Stallions.

Brigance spent seven seasons in the NFL, playing 98 games with 52 total tackles. He also made history as the only player to win both a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and a Grey Cup with the Baltimore Stallions.

All of his achievements, though, mean nothing in front of the person he was to the Ravens as the franchise remembers him.

The Baltimore Ravens remember their legend

Team owner Steve Bisciotti was among the firsts who paid tribute, describing Brigance as someone who had a lasting influence on him. A part of his message read:

“O.J. will be remembered for his service to our community, to the Ravens and to the fight to find a cure for ALS,” Bisciotti stated. “With heavy hearts, the Ravens organization extends our deepest condolences to Chanda and the entire Brigance family. We are saddened by this loss, and O.J.’s spirit will remain part of this community forever.” 

Ravens Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome:

“O.J. was one of the most genuine, sincere people I have ever known. From the moment he arrived in Baltimore, you could feel his energy. His amazing smile, welcoming nature, and infectious personality made everyone around him feel like family.

“He was a hero to this city long before his courageous battle with ALS and became an even greater inspiration in the way he faced it with the same fight, faith and grace he brought to the football field.”

Ravens Executive VP and General Manager Eric DeCosta

“O.J. inspired us with humility, faithfulness, determination, competitiveness, and love for humankind. We never once saw O.J. angry or frustrated by his disease.  Instead, we all witnessed a hero who influenced so many people through his unwavering optimism and grit. O.J. Brigance is the definition of what it means to live like a Raven.

“I will miss his smile and the twinkle of joy in his eyes.”

Former Head Coach John Harbaugh

When Harbaugh became Baltimore’s head coach in 2008, Brigance was already part of the player development staff. Brigance regularly attended practices and team meetings, addressed Harbaugh’s players, and exchanged personal emails with the coach. Harbaugh also supported Brigance outside football, with his wife Ingrid and daughter Alison joining an ALS fundraising run for him in 2008.

“O.J. was a great friend to me, my wife and my daughter, and I will always treasure the time we shared with him,” Harbaugh noted as he extended his condolences. “We loved him, and we respected him. He was a hero in our eyes.”

Several Ravens leaders paid tribute to Brigance, including team president emeritus Dick Cass, and former head coach Brian Billick. His impact reached far beyond the Ravens. After the news spread, tributes poured in from across the NFL community.

NFL family shower tribute for O.J. Brigance

“You fought a good fight, teammate!!! Much love!!! Rest in peace 🙏🏾,” coach and former teammate Dre Bly wrote in the comments. The two played together for the St. Louis Rams and faced the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. “Rest well, my brother,” added Nick Luchey, another former player.

But it was his fight against ALS that made the most impact. Even the ALS Association joined in the comments to offer a few words. “Our hearts go out to his family and the Ravens community ❤️❤️❤️❤️.”

Fans also honored Brigance’s long fight with ALS.

“He was such a class act, a true warrior on and off the field. May his soul rest in peace and may his family heal every day ✝️🩵🪽🤍🙏🏾,” one fan wrote.

Another recalled Brigance presenting the Lamar Hunt Trophy to the Ravens after their 2012 AFC Championship win over the Patriots, adding, “I’m a Patriots fan. But football comes second to real life. RIP.”

O.J. Brigance’s courage in the face of unimaginable adversity defined him. While the football world has lost a true warrior, the life-changing work of the Brigance Brigade Foundation will continue to inspire. Until then, how Brigance defined his legacy will echo through all of our hearts:

“I lived every day. I smiled every day. Regardless of the circumstances that came my way, you’ve got the same OJ.”