Former National Football League linebacker O.J. Brigance of Houston, Texas passed away on Monday at the age of 56 according to the Associated Press. The cause of death was complications related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Brigance played for four teams over seven seasons in the National Football League. He was with the Miami Dolphins for four seasons from 1996 to 1999, the Baltimore Ravens in 2000, the St. Louis Rams for two seasons from 2001 to 2002 and the New England Patriots for one season in 2002.
In 98 games, Brigance had 42 combined tackles (33 solo tackles and nine assisted tackles), three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Both fumble recoveries came in victories for Brigance’s team. The first was in a 33-30 Miami Dolphins win over the Detroit Lions on December 7, 1997, and the second was in a dominant 37-0 Ravens win 0ver the Cincinnati Bengals on September 24, 2000.
Brigance is best known for being the first and only football player to win the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl in the same city. He was part of the Baltimore Stallions team that won the 1995 Grey Cup at Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Stallions defeated the Calgary Stampeders 37-20 during the era of Canadian Football League expansion into the United States. Brigance then won the 2001 Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. In a dominant defensive performance, the Ravens defeated the New York Giants 34-7. New York’s only touchdown came off of a kickoff return before the Ravens scored a touchdown on a kickoff return on immediately the next play. The 21 points in 36 seconds is the 10th greatest moment in Super Bowl history.
