New Orleans Saints

Who is Steve Gleason?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The New Orleans Saints have a strong connection to one former player. Who exactly is Steve Gleason and why is he so important to football in New Orleans?

With Monday Night Football being in the Big Easy for the New Orleans Saints’ home game against the Atlanta Falcons, there is bound to be a reference or two about one former Saints player Steve Gleason. For those who are unfamiliar with why Gleason is a transcendent football player, here’s his story:

Gleason is a former special teams player for the Saints. He played for New Orleans form 2000 to 2007. Originally he had been an undrafted free agent out of Washington State University that first signed with the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Saints in November 2000.

As a professional football player, Gleason is best known for blocking Falcons punter Michael Koenen’s punt on September 25th, 2006. This was the first football game to be played at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in September 2005.

Gleason’s block of Koenen’s punt early in the first quarter would be returned for a Saints touchdown. New Orleans would crush the Falcons and have its best season to date up to that point. That punt block touchdown is commemorated in a statue in front of Mercedes-Benz Superdome, titled Rebirth.

Just a few years after retiring from football, Gleason would be diagnosed with ALS in 2011. He gradually lost his ability to move and later his ability to speak. He has since created a foundation to fight ALS called Team Gleason. Gleason has been the biggest advocate of ALS research, doing crazy things like scaling Machu Picchu in a wheelchair with former Saints teammate Scott Fujita.

Gleason’s cultural impact far exceeds his football playing days. His blocked punt galvanized the New Orleans region. His courageous battle with ALS makes him an American inspiration. What do you mean you don’t know who Steve Gleason is?

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