Steve Gleason

Stephen Michael Gleason (born March 19, 1977) is a former American football player. He played mainly as a safety. He played for the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) between 2000 and 2007. He was best known for blocking a punt in 2006, which became a symbol of recovery for New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
In 2019, Gleason was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Gleason was born in Spokane, Washington. He is married to Michel Rae Varisco. They have two children. In 2011, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.