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 Steve Gleason opens up on how Saints' 'Rebirth' game has kept him alive through ALS battle 20 years later Gleason's blocked punt was a pivotal moment for both the city of New Orleans and himself….
10/06/26 07:09 AM
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The parallels between Steve Gleason's legendary blocked punt, what it meant for the city of New Orleans and how it resembles his own personal struggle are chilling. A play on the football field that will forever be known as the "rebirth" of New Orleans was, in many ways, a "rebirth" for Gleason. He just did not know it at the time.
Almost exactly 20 years ago, the New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. The venue that served as a shelter for thousands during and after the storm became, once again, the home of a proud football team.
A minute and a half after the opening kickoff of the Sept. 25, 2006, game against the rival Atlanta Falcons, Gleason made the most memorable play in franchise history, blocking a punt that was scooped up in the end zone. It was a play that gave the Saints and the city of New Orleans hope once again.
On Monday, the Falcons return to the Superdome to face the Saints in Week 4 of the 2026 season. The team will honor Gleason and that 2006 squad in a 20th anniversary celebration.
It will undoubtedly be a meaningful return to the Superdome for Gleason.
"When I roll back into that stadium, I will not only be revisiting a monument of 2006, but I will be walking into a mirror — a place that had to learn how to rise," Gleason said on "Good Morning America" on Monday. "I had to learn the same thing."
What "Rebirth" means to Gleason
That game 20 years ago did not just revive the city of New Orleans. In hindsight, it was a pivotal moment in Gleason's life. It just took a few years for him to fully realize what it would mean to be a central figure in a defining moment in the city's and the football team's history.
"If I do not block that punt, I am another former special teams player, a has-been football guy," Gleason said. "When ALS came, I probably fade away quietly and die anonymously. That play made me visible at the exact moment this city needed a symbol. Years later, that visibility became a lifeline. So many people have told us our foundation's work saved their lives."
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steve-gleason-opens-up-on-saints-rebirth-game-als-battle-20-years-later/
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