What happened to Steve Gleason The story of Saints legendary blocked punt and ALS diagnosis
What happened to Steve Gleason The story of Saints legendary blocked punt and ALS diagnosis
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Steve Gleason will always be remembered as a hero in New Orleans for his blocked punt in the Saints' first home game in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which has since been immortalized in a statue outside the Superdome.Gleason, a former safety, retired from the NFL in 2008 after eight seasons with the Saints, two years after that iconic play, but he has become a symbol of resilience in life after football following his diagnosis with ALSin 2011.Now 47, Gleason's fight against ALS, also known asLou Gehrig's Disease, has inspired the statue, a movie, and, with his charity, the Team Gleason Foundation, raised millions of dollars to help people diagnosed with the disease.Gleason's health took a turn for the worse shortly after he retired from the NFL DeMar DeRozan Jersey in 2008. In 2011, he was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative diseases that damages the muscle. Since then, Gleason lost all mobility functions and can only communicate through eye-tracking technology.Gleason quickly became a celebrated figure due to his inspiring positivity during his fight with the disease and public push for research and treatment. In 2015, Congre s unanimously pa sed the "Steve Gleason Act," ensuring the availability of life sustaining communication devices. Three years later, when the law expired, the Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act was submitted and replaced the previous act.He received the U.S. Congre sional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor, on Jan. 15, 2020, for his work. He is the only NFL player to receive the honor.In the Saints' 2023 season opener against the Titans, Gleason served as an honorary captain. Former Titan Tim Shaw, who also battles ALS, served as the other honorary captain.Former Saints safety Steve Gleason and former Titans linebacker Tim Shaw, each of whom is battling ALS, will Paul Watson Jersey serve as honorary team captains for Sundays opener. Saints HC Dennis Allen and Titans HC Mike Vrabel agreed on the importance of honoring these two men for their Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) Gleason was etched into Saints history on Sept. 25, 2006. It was the reopening night of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and the Saints were taking on the Falcons."There was a moment during the national anthem, minutes before kickoff, I vividly remember looking acro s the field and seeing the Falcons, and looking up at the crowd in the Dome and thinking, 'It is impo sible for us to lose tonight," Gleason said, according to .The game began better than any New Orleans fan could have imagined. With 13:30 on the clock in the first quarter, Gleason blocked Falcons' Michael Koenen's punt. It was recovered in the end zone by Curtis DeLoatch for the first touchdown of the night.The historic game is referred to as "Rebirth."Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in January of 2011, three years after he retired from the NFL."In a way, I see this as an opportunity to continue to be an inspiration, maybe even more so than I ever have been," Gleason said, according to , after publicly announcing his diagnosis in September 2011 at a Saints game.(Getty Images)Team Gleason was co-founded by Gleason and his wife Michel in the months following the diagnoses."It is his mi sion to show that patients can not only live but thrive after this diagnosis. In doing so, he hoped to inspire others to do the same," states the .The foundation was also created with the hopes of finding solutions and funding research of the disease. With technology being so beneficial in communication those living with ALS, Team Gleason has provided over $15 million in a sistive technology. It's even partnered with Microsoft to work on advancements in a sistive equipment, particularly in wheelchair control and eye-tracking technology.The team's motto, "No White Flags," symbolizes Gleason's refusal to give up.Outside of the Superdome, the Saints erected a statue of Gleason's blocked punt with the word "Rebirth" etched below it. It was constructed Kawhi Leonard Jersey to honor Gleason during his battle against ALS. It also represents New Orleans' resilience after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city.(Getty Images)The documentary "Gleason" debuted at Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and was released to the entirety of the US on July 29, 2016. It covers five years of the former Saints' life, particularly as ALS takes its devastating toll on Gleason.
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