He wasn't a superstar. Honestly, if you look at the stat sheet from his seven seasons in the league, Steve Gleason was a "special teams ace"—which is basically NFL code for a guy who runs downfield like a heat-seeking missile on punts and kicks. He had zero career interceptions. He never made a Pro Bowl.
But in New Orleans? He’s immortal.
If you walk up to the Caesars Superdome today, you’ll see a nine-foot bronze statue of a man in full extension, hands outstretched, smothering a football. It’s called "Rebirth." It captures a single second from September 25, 2006. That was the night the New Orleans Saints returned to the Dome for the first time after Hurricane Katrina.
The city was still broken. People were living in trailers. The smell of mold hadn't quite left the streets. Then, just minutes into the game against the Atlanta Falcons, Gleason broke through the line and blocked Michael Koenen’s punt. Curtis Deloatch recovered it in the end zone.
The sound in that building wasn't just a cheer; it was a scream of defiance. It told the world that New Orleans wasn't going anywhere.
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The Reality of the Gleason New Orleans Saints Connection
Most people think the story ends with that block. It doesn’t. Steve retired in 2008, but his real "game" didn't start until January 2011. That’s when he was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a terminal neurodegenerative disease.
Doctors basically told him he had two to five years to live.
Most people would have curled up. Instead, Steve and his wife, Michel, decided to live—loudly. They started Team Gleason, a foundation that has since raised over $55 million. They didn't just want to "find a cure" in some vague, far-off way. They wanted to provide technology to people right now.
Why his legacy is actually about tech
Steve lost his ability to walk. Then his ability to speak. But he never lost his voice.
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By 2014, he was using eye-tracking technology to type and speak. He even challenged Microsoft to develop better tools for people with disabilities, leading to the creation of "Ability Drive," which allows people to drive power wheelchairs using only their eyes.
It’s kinda wild when you think about it. A guy who made his living with his physical body became a global leader in assistive technology. He's the first NFL player to ever receive the Congressional Gold Medal (2019), and just recently, in July 2024, he was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs.
What most people get wrong about ALS and Steve
There’s this misconception that once you have ALS, your life is over. Steve hates that.
He’s lived 15 years with a disease that was supposed to kill him in three. In April 2024, he released a memoir called A Life Impossible. It’s not a "feel good" book. It’s gritty. It talks about the "dark nights of the soul" and the sheer physical toll on his family.
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But he’s still here.
In September 2024, he actually had a bit of a scare and spent six days in the hospital. When he got out, he posted a photo with his kids, Rivers and Gray, calling himself "reborn" once again. That’s the thing about the Gleason New Orleans Saints story—it’s not a static memory from 2006. It’s an ongoing lesson in resilience.
How to support the mission today
If you're looking to actually do something rather than just read about it, here’s how the movement works in 2026:
- Technology Grants: Team Gleason provides speech-generating devices and "eye-gaze" computers to patients who can't afford them.
- The Steve Gleason Act: This is real legislation. It ensures that Medicare and Medicaid continue to cover these communication devices. You can advocate for the Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act to make sure these protections don't sunset.
- Gleason Gras: This is the annual festival in New Orleans that raises funds. It’s less of a somber fundraiser and more of a giant party—exactly how Steve wanted it.
Steve often says, "Until there is a cure, there is technology."
The blocked punt was just the warm-up. The real win is the fact that thousands of people who can't move a finger are currently "talking" to their families because of a safety who refused to wave the white flag.
If you want to help, you can donate directly to Team Gleason or participate in the annual Crescent City Classic in New Orleans, which continues to be a major source of support for ALS families. You can also look into local chapters of the ALS Association to see how technology is being implemented in your own community.