This Football Play Helped Keep Him Alive 😭

In 2011, former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason received a devastating diagnosis: ALS, a progressive neurological disease that would eventually take away his ability to walk, speak, and breathe independently. Doctors gave him just three to five years to live. But more than 15 years later, Steve is still fighting. And he believes one football play helped make that possible. On September 25, 2006, the Saints returned to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Facing the Atlanta Falcons, Gleason blocked a punt just minutes into the game, allowing teammate Curtis Deloatch to recover the ball for a touchdown. The Saints won 23–3, but that moment meant far more than football. It became a symbol of hope for an entire city struggling to rebuild. Years later, when Gleason was diagnosed with ALS, that same play gave him a platform to inspire millions and build Team Gleason, a foundation supporting people living with the disease. Through the organization, millions of dollars have been raised to help ALS patients and their families. What began as one unforgettable football play became something far greater. A moment that helped give Steve a reason to keep fighting. ❤️🏈