New Orleans Saints legend Steve Gleason made American history on Wednesday, being the first professional football player to receive the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his efforts in promoting awareness of ALS, a degenerative neural disease he’s fought since 2011.
Gleason, 42, earned his spot in Saints history with a game-changing blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons, in the first game played inside the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. His continued rise in prominence after publicly advocating for research into ALS and raising funds to help others afflicted with it has only grown with time.
Now, he’s in rare company as the recipient of this Congressional Gold Medal. He received it during a ceremony in Statuary Hall at Capitol Hill surrounded by friends, family, and supporters, including Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his son Baylen as well as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Brees shared his remarks on the occasion following opening statements from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy.
And when Gleason received his award, it was followed up by a standing ovation:
Now that’s special. Afterwards, Brees shared his own thoughts on the ceremony and his relationship with Gleason in a video posted from the official Saints Twitter account:
And here’s what the medal, designed custom for Gleason, looks like:
