Jarrett Bell has been covering the NFL for USA TODAY since 1993 and is a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Bill Nunn Memorial Award for career achievement. He's been a member of Hall of Fame selection committee since 1997 and has voted on AP awards and Super Bowl MVP panels for more than 25 years. Each Monday during the 2026 season, he'll take you around the league as only he can to uncover what mattered most and what it means. This story is from his latest column.
Ultimately, the legacy of O.J. Brigance went so far beyond football. Sure, as the leader of the Ravens special teams units, he fittingly made the first tackle of Super Bowl 35 on the opening kickoff. He had the distinction, too, of being the only player to win a Super Bowl and a Grey Cup while representing the same city, Baltimore.
Yet his defining legacy comes in more human terms, wrapped in the determined spirit Brigance demonstrated for so many years as he battled ALS – and remained active with the Ravens despite limited physical abilities.
The team announced the death of Brigance, 56, last Monday.
After being diagnosed with ALS in 2007, Brigance, who worked as the player development director following his playing days, kept an office at the team's headquarters and continued connecting with those relationships. He regularly attended practices, too.

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