STEVE GLEASON MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAINTS PUNT BLOCK

Steve Gleason, a former New Orleans Saints special teams player, has marked 20 years since he blocked a punt during the Superdome's reopening game after Hurricane Katrina. The play came 83 seconds into the Saints' first home game in the Superdome, on 25 September 2006, and became one of the defining moments in the club's history. Gleason said the anniversary carries added significance because of his subsequent diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS. He said the moment permanently connected his life to New Orleans and believes it changed the course of his life.

The Saints played the previous season away from the Superdome while it was repaired after Hurricane Katrina, making their return in September 2006 significant for New Orleans. Atlanta Falcons' Michael Koenen attempted the opening punt, and Gleason broke through Atlanta's blocking to block the kick with his left hand. Saints cornerback Curtis Deloatch recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, giving New Orleans a 7-0 lead in a game the Saints went on to win 23-3. Gleason said his assignment was simply to reach the punter's foot, and that a gap opened in Atlanta's protection that let him through.

Gleason, who wrote about the play in his book A Life Impossible, said he believes he would not still be alive had he not blocked the punt. He credited the New Orleans community with supporting him and his family, named as Michel, Rivers and Gray, since his ALS diagnosis. He said the anniversary reminds him that he remains a father, loved by those around him. Gleason said he feels the city's support two decades on and is grateful for whatever comes next.