Steve Gleason has become a global example and ambassador of inspiration, resilience, perseverance, and leadership.
Steve played for The New Orleans Saints from 2000-2008. He will always be remembered for his blocked punt the night the Louisiana Superdome reopened one year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region.
Steve’s story has been told by seemingly every major network, including the NFL Network, ESPN, HBO, ABC, CBS, CNN. He was featured in 2 NBC Super Bowl segments, NFL’s A Football Life, Good Morning America, and HBO’s Real Sports.
Steve has been honored with countless awards. Most recently (2019), he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the most prestigious civilian honor the US government can bestow.
Steve regularly speaks in the public arena. These speeches include keynote speeches for corporations, 2 United Nations speeches, various universities, professional (NFL, MLB) and NCAA athletic organizations, religious organizations, and major conventions.
Growing up in Spokane Washington, Steve went to Washington State University. At WSU, Steve played football. and baseball, was a captain for both teams, and majored in Management Information Systems.
Being undersized for an NFL linebacker, Steve had to reinvent himself, as a defensive safety, and a special teams player. Steve was a team captain for most of his 8 year career with the Saints
In 2008, Steve retired and married New Orleans local, Michel Varisco. Afterwards the two traveled on a six month, around the world backpacking adventure, then settled in New Orleans.
In 2009, Steve started an MBA program at Tulane University, while working as a sustainability consultant at the Shaw Group. Steve also worked with the Saints, as a community ambassador.
In 2011, Steve was diagnosed with ALS, a terminal neurological disease. The experts told him he had three years to live.
Not long after his diagnosis, Steve and Michel found out that they would have their first child. Not knowing what the future held, but putting fatherhood as his top priority, Steve started to record his thoughts on everything, for their son Rivers. These “video journals” became the basis for the critically acclaimed documentary film “Gleason”, produced by Amazon and premiering at Sundance in 2016. The Gleasons excitedly welcomed their daughter, Gray, in October 2018.
Instead of planning to die, Steve relentlessly sought a solution. What he discovered was much more encouraging than the experts offered. Steve found that with the help of innovative technology, ALS patients were continuing to live productively for decades.
Based on this knowledge, Steve started a charitable foundation (Team Gleason) which has become the global leader in providing and developing the essential technology,and equipment for people to live with ALS.
Steve also helped create a research project (Answer ALS) to end the disease. Answer ALS has since become the largest and most comprehensive ALS research project in the world.
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