No, I’m not talking about that fraud of a human being. Rather, this is someone you should be proud to call OJ.
I don’t know the man personally, but he attended and graduated from Rice University at the same time as me. He was the star linebacker at Rice, but was deemed too small for the NFL. He played in the Canadian Football League for a few years, winning a championship with the Baltimore CFL Stallions. He then actually made it to the NFL and later won a championship with the Baltimore Ravens as a special teams leader. After his football career, he wound up working for the Ravens in their front office. About two years ago, he was diagnosed with ALS.
OJ Brigance obviously didn’t ask for this, but he has certainly caught the imagination of the supposedly “tough” football players he now mentors for the Baltimore Ravens. This past weekend, he was presented with the game ball from the Ravens win over the Tennessee Titans. He continues to work and inspire the team.
I bring this up in part because, even though I never met him, I remember following him as he tried to make it in football. I remember cheering him on in person when he played for the Baltimore Stallions, even seeing one of the games in Memorial Stadium. All of this comes to a head now with the article this week in the Washington Post that talks even more about his situation and what he’s learned. And it should make you pause, when OJ reflects on his situation like this:
“Who are you?” he [Brigance] asked. “When your physical prowess is taken away, who are you? We build our lives on things that are temporary and when these things are taken away who are you inside? That’s one of the great blessings I’ve had. I can see I’m more than an athlete.”
So give the article a read, and pause and consider your blessings for a little while. In the meantime, fight on, OJ.
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