What is the timeline connecting Steve Gleason’s 2006 punt block to his 2011 ALS diagnosis announcement?
One detail that stands out in Steve Gleason’s story is a date that lines up twice, five years apart. Here’s how the two events connect.
The timeline
- Aug. 29, 2005 — Hurricane Katrina strikes, and the Saints are unable to play true home games for the rest of that season.
- Start of the 2006 season — New Orleans opens on the road with wins at Cleveland and at Green Bay, before returning to the Superdome.
- Sept. 25, 2006 — The Saints host Atlanta in their first home game back in the Caesars Superdome since Katrina. Gleason blocks a punt from Atlanta’s Michael Koenen, Curtis Deloatch recovers it for a touchdown, and New Orleans wins 23-3.
- Sept. 25, 2011 — Exactly five years later, on that same calendar date, Gleason reveals he has been diagnosed with ALS.
- Since the diagnosis — ALS has taken away Gleason’s ability to walk and speak.
- Today — A bronze statue in Champions Square outside the Superdome commemorates the 2006 play, and NewOrleansSaints.com marked the 20th anniversary with an oral history from eight of Gleason’s former teammates.
What’s confirmed about the date overlap
The reporting confirms the ALS announcement fell on the same calendar date as the punt block, five years apart. It doesn’t offer further explanation for the timing beyond that — so this post sticks to what’s documented rather than reading extra meaning into it.
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