Steve Gleason, the former New Orleans Saints safety turned ALS activist, is doing well after being taken to the hospital Wednesday night as Hurricane Francine made landfall.
His team posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, thanking emergency responders who helped them get to Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, Louisiana, during the dangerous storm.
For those who asked, Steve was taken to Ochsner last night during the storm. He is now stable. We want to thank him @NOLAFireDept first responders and @NewOrleansEMS to reach us during unsafe conditions and to @OchsnerHealth staff for their immediate care. We will…
— Steve Gleason – “Live Impossible” (@SteveGleason) September 12, 2024
Gleason, 47, is famous for a 2006 punt block that was returned for a touchdown in the Saints’ first game back in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina. Gleason and the Saints won the Super Bowl that year, his last in the NFL, though he wouldn’t officially retire until 2008.
After being diagnosed with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease, in 2011, Gleason became an activist and advocate for treatment of the disease, even though the disease robbed him of his ability to walk, talk and move independently.
It is not known what prompted the sudden hospitalization. Gleason’s team promised to “update everyone as soon as we know more.”
