Former New Orleans Saints safety and current ALS activist Steve Gleason was hospitalized in New Orleans on Wednesday, the same day Hurricane Francine made landfall in the area. The announcement was posted Thursday morning to Gleason’s X (formerly Twitter) page. “For those who have asked, Steve was taken to Ochsner (Medical Center) last night during the storm. He is now stable,” the statement read. “We want to thank (the New Orleans Fire Department), first responders and (New Orleans EMS) for getting to us during unsafe circumstances and to the (Ochsner Medical Center) staff for their immediate care. We will update everyone as soon as we know more. Thanks, the Gleason Crew.” No reason was given as to why Gleason was hospitalized. The most famous moment of Gleason’s career is related to another Hurricane, as his punt block against the Atlanta Falcons in 2006 — in the Saints’ first home game after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans a year earlier — became a symbol of the city’s resiliency and recovery. Gleason last played in the NFL in 2006, and five years later he was diagnosed with ALS. In the years since, he has become one of the more visible ALS activists in the world, speaking at United Nations-sponsored events and helping produce a documentary about his life, “Gleason,” which was released in 2016. Gleason, 47, received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2020 for his contributions to ALS awareness and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs in July. –Field Level Media
