Former Rice standout O.J. Brigance to honor Lou Gehrig – Chron.com

For nearly a decade, O.J. Brigance has bravely fought a cruel disease with no known cure.

Diagnosed in 2007 with amyotrophic lateral scelerosis, the former Rice and Willowridge standout linebacker and his wife, Chanda, have set an example of personal courage while he deals with a progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron disease that affects the cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the late New York Yankees first baseman who eventually succumbed to the disease, ALS causes muscle atrophy and difficult speaking, swallong and breathing.

The Baltimore Ravens’ senior advisor to player development is delivering a salute to Gehrig on Monday night on the 77th anniversary of Gehrig’s farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. Two years after Gehrig called himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth during his famous 1939 goodbye to baseball, the Hall of Fame slugger died.

Now, Brigance will participate in the traditional first pitch Monday night at Ripken Stadium in Maryland, the minor league home of the Aberdeen Ironbirds.

“On the 77th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s historic retirement speech, I can’t help but reflect on the courage, faith and humility displayed in the face of an extremely dire situation,” Brigance said.

“Instead of dwelling on the daunting journey that was ahead of him, he took a moment to acknowledge the people and situations that had made him into the man he had become.

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

Brigance won a Super Bowl in 2000 playing linebacker for the Ravens. He won a Canadian Football League Gray Cup championship as an all-star linebacker for the Baltimore Stallions.  He’s the only player to win a CFL title and earn a Super Bowl ring in the same city.

Brigance played in the NFL for seven seasons, including stints with the Ravens, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams.

Brigance has maintained a strong, influential presence at the Ravens’ training complex, attending practices and games and communicating daily with players to provide them support and guidance and is often described as an inspiration by the AFC North franchise.

“I am doing extremely well,” Brigance said. “Each day that I am allowed to open my eyes, gives me a new lease on life. The one positive to come from my ALS diagnosis is the ability to keep perspective on what is really important in life. My relationship with Jesus Christ sustains me daily and encourages me to press on with my assignment. My affliction doesn’t excuse me from my assignment.”

Through his Brigance Brigade Foundation, Brigance has helped to raise millions of dollars supporting families and raising awareness about ALS. Brigance’s annual ALS run raised over $200,000 in May.

“There are so many events around the country to raise awareness that I couldn’t name them all,” said Brigance, whose website is www.brigancebrigade.org. “The great thing to me is that ALS is no longer something that most people haven’t heard of thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge. The struggle has been to continue that level of awareness and fundraising. There is still so much work to be done.

“It was an extremely busy month for the Brigance Brigade foundation. We kicked off ALS Awareness month with our annual Brigance Brigade Foundation 5.7K Championship Run. Even though the weather wasn’t ideal, we raised $200,000. We also started a promotion with local restaurants to donate a portion of one days proceeds to the Brigance Brigade during the month of May. We also received numerous opportunities to spread awareness on numerous media outlets.”

Growing up in Sugar Land, Brigance went on to be a three-year starter at Rice and graduated with a degree in managerial studies in 1992.

“My roots in Houston were essential to any success that I have accomplished,” Brigance said. “No matter where I played in the U. S. Or in Canada, my family and friends and my Rice family supported me. I wasn’t only competing for myself, but for everyone who ever took the time to invest in me. I am extremely blessed to have a wide stretching root system to constantly nourish me.

“My parents were my mentors growing up. Then when I went to Willowridge High, I had a great support system of coaches that  pushed me and taught me about class and character. At Rice, Julie Griswold and Coach Dobes, Coach Chismar kept me on track.”

Working with young players, Brigance and other Ravens staffers held a rookie transition program to help ease the rookies’ transition to the NFL.

“It was a great start to the individual team symposium for the Ravens,” Brigance said. “The huge advantage is the opportunity to expose your entire rookie class to the information, not just the draft picks. A wide range of social topics were introduced to prepare the men to make the most of their NFL careers.”

The Ravens had a rough season last year as several key players suffered season-ending injuries, including quarterback Joe Flacco, wide receiver Steve Smith and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.
Brigance expects the team, which won the Super Bowl following the 2012 regular season, to bounce back.

“We experienced a very unique season last year with a record number of injuries,” Brigance said. “We have added several key additions to help improve our overall athleticism. The guys who you mentioned are the consummate professionals. They have worked extremely hard in their rehab. I fully expect them to be back and make significant contributions to our success this season.”

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