Join the Brigance Brigade
Longtime Baltimore football fixture O.J. Brigance is currently fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and he wants you to join the cause against this debilitating illness through his foundation, Brigance’s Brigade.
As a player, the former linebacker spent seven seasons in the NFL after a standout career in Canadian football. Brigance even won a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2001 (fans would remember Brigance making the special teams tackle on the opening kickoff).
As a front office member, Brigance put together a stellar development system for the Ravens, even earning the award for the league’s Best Overall Player Development Program for the past two years and Most Outstanding Internship Program in 2005.
4th Annual Fiesta 5K
O.J. has been named honorary chair of the Fiesta 5K. Support O.J. Brigance in his efforts to fight ALS.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
6:30 a.m. registration opens
8:00 a.m. race begins
Downtown Baltimore
Brigance still the strongest guy in the room
Ravens official deals with Lou Gehrig's disease; his foundation to hold fundraiser Tuesday
by Kevin Cowherd
Baltimore Sun
September 24, 2009
This was at training camp 2008, in the conference room at the Best Western Hotel in Westminster, the place so quiet you could hear hearts beat.
O.J. Brigance stood in front of the Ravens with a body ravaged by Lou Gehrig's disease and told them in essence: Don't look at me any differently. Don't feel sorry for me. I'm still here. I'm still one of you.
He told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" program that he gave the speech for one simple reason.
Two Rings for O.J.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
M&T Bank Stadium—Club Level
Celebrating the 40th birthday of O.J. Brigance. All the proceeds from the event will go directly to Brigance Brigade. Read more about O.J.
To register: http://www.bcf.org/content/files/customcart/2rings.aspx
Please direct all questions to brigancebrigade57@gmail.com
He’s lost strength but not power of inspiration
By MEGAN MANFULL Houston Chronicle
April 17, 2009, 9:47PM
O.J. Brigance sat in his wheelchair, no longer able to lift his arms or use his legs. His boisterous voice — now just a mere whisper — was another outward sign of how much Lou Gehrig’s disease has stolen from the former Rice standout and Super Bowl champion.
As Brigance made his way through Tudor Fieldhouse on Friday, however, his face lit up each time he saw an old friend. He flashed his trademark smile and asked how they were.
It was typical Brigance — comforting others with his smile and his words.
Owls Come Together to Honor O.J. Brigance on April 18
From Rice Athletics Website:
http://riceowls.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/033009aac.html
The Rice University Athletics Department, the R Association and the members of the Rice football teams from 1987-1991 are combining efforts to host "Celebration of Courage" to honor former Owl standout O.J. Brigance, on Saturday, April 18 at Rice Stadium.
A two-time All Southwest Conference selection at linebacker for the Owls, Brigance went on to win championships in both the CFL and NFL during his career. Brigance moved into the front office of the Baltimore Ravens after he retired as their Director of Player Development.
In 2007, it was announced that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a motor neuron disease. He has resolved to use the same drive and determination that has proven successful on the football field to win his fight against the disease, and his former teammates banded together to create a night at Rice Stadium to support his efforts.
The purpose of Celebration of Courage is to recognize the accomplishments of one of Rice's finest and to raise monies to:
* Fund an endowed scholarship in the name of O. J. Brigance
* Support the annual designation of the Brigance Courage Award
* Provide a financial contribution to the Brigance Brigade and support its efforts to promote ALS research and education (www.brigancebrigade.org).
The "Celebration of Courage" will at 6 p.m. at Rice Stadium. For information on tickets for the event, or how you can make a donation for the event, please download the event brochure, or contact Judith Duvall ( jduvall@rice.edu 713-348-6935)
OJ Brigance Facebook Group Reaches 1,000 members
Let's get this group up to 10,000 members!
Within a Wasting Body, Ravens' Source of Strength
By Les Carpenter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 15, 2009; E01
OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Tucked into an alcove deep down a cinder block hallway of the Baltimore Ravens' headquarters rests a black, motorized device that vaguely resembles a wheelchair. The chair is empty this morning.
The man for whom it is intended sits instead in an office across the hall, behind a desk, refusing to yield to a disease that is destroying him. Eventually today someone will have to carry him to the motorized chair if he wishes to move freely through the halls the way he did when he was a chiseled linebacker who led a brigade of special teams players sprinting furiously downfield. But until that moment, Ravens executive O.J. Brigance will maintain as much normalcy as possible. This is important to him.
Q&A with O.J. Brigance: Speed limits in Ravens hallways
11/26/2008
By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY
OWINGS MILLS, Md — Baltimore Ravens director of player development O.J. Brigance sat down with USA TODAY last week to discuss his battle against ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. It affects up to 30,000 Americans at a given time.
Brigance has a website —Brigancebrigade.org— devoted to raising ALS awareness and funds to help find a cure.
Now 39, Brigance was diagnosed in May 2007 with the neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells that fire muscle movement. He is chairman for the Robert Packard Center, the research center for ALS at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In the spring, he received the Johnny Unitas Tops in Courage Award at the Ed Block Courage Awards dinner named after the former Baltimore Colts team trainer.
Brigance was a former standout special teams player and linebacker who won a Grey Cup with the Canadian Football League's Baltimore Stallions in 1995 and a Super Bowl title with the Ravens in 2000. Brigance made five special teams tackles, including one on the opening kickoff of Baltimore's 34-7 Super Bowl XXXV win against the New York Giants.
But he has distinguished himself in his role as director of player development upon his retirement from playing in 2003. Brigance twice has received the NFL's Winston/Shell Award in 2005 and 2006 honoring the director of player development's commitment to developing unique and innovative programs.
Brigance has created programs that connect Ravens players with area high school programs and get them involved in internships with financial institutions and other business involvements. His life-skills programs have helped prepare them for post-football life.
All this despite the physical ravages of a disease that has caused him to work recently from a motorized cart as he has lost the ability to shake hands.
Brigance discussed his daily fight to raise ALS awareness through his unflagging spirit, strong personal faith and commitment to his job:
News Clip from Fox45
Follow the link above to view this clip from Fox45.
