Stephen Michael Gleason is a former professional American football player who played as a safety with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2000, he played for the Saints through the 2007 season. As a free agent in 2008, Gleason retired from the NFL after eight seasons. Gleason is especially well known for his blocked punt in a 2006 game that became a symbol of recovery in New Orleans in the team's first home game after Hurricane Katrina. In 2011, he revealed that he was battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His experiences while living with the disease were captured on video over the course of a five-year period and are featured in the 2016 documentary, Gleason.
