Steve Gleason is alive and is widely known today both for his New Orleans Saints career and for his long, very public battle with ALS, which he has turned into a major platform for advocacy and technology access for others living with the disease.

What happened to Steve Gleason?

  • Steve Gleason is a former New Orleans Saints safety best known for his iconic blocked punt in 2006, a symbolic play in the city’s recovery after Hurricane Katrina.
  • In 2011, he revealed he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
  • Rather than stepping out of the public eye, he became a highly visible ALS advocate, documenting his experience and pushing for better support, technology, and awareness.

Living with ALS today

  • ALS has severely limited his movement and speech; he uses assistive technology to communicate, including eye-tracking systems, often described as “tweeting with his eyes.”
  • He has a tracheostomy and relies on assistive breathing, but continues to appear at events, give speeches, and share messages online, often emphasizing gratitude, love, and resilience.
  • Despite the progression of the disease, he remains active in public life and community events, including Saints-related functions and his own foundation’s gatherings.

Team Gleason and advocacy

  • Gleason founded Team Gleason, a nonprofit focused on improving life for people with ALS, especially by expanding access to cutting-edge assistive technologies and caregiving support.
  • The organization has helped drive policy and tech changes, including influencing legislation to increase access to communication devices for people with ALS in the United States.
  • His motto “No White Flags” has become a rallying cry for resilience, used widely by ALS communities and Saints fans.

Recent news and health updates

  • In late 2024, reports noted that Gleason was injured after an accidental fall from a van, but he was described as recovering at home afterward.
  • In 2024 he also released a memoir reflecting on his life, football career, family, and long journey with ALS, written painstakingly using eye-tracking technology over many years.
  • In 2025 he appeared publicly to receive the inaugural Saints Hall of Fame Courage Award, delivering a message about love, community, and what it means to live with ALS.

Why he’s a trending topic

  • Gleason periodically trends when new interviews, awards, or public appearances surface, or when clips of his famous blocked punt and later ALS journey circulate on sports and social platforms.
  • Forum and fan discussions often highlight how he is “still showing up” despite extremely difficult circumstances, framing him as a symbol of perseverance for New Orleans and for people living with ALS worldwide.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.