The Saints are marking 20 years since the game that came to define a city’s recovery. Steve Gleason is marking it from a far more personal place.
On Sept. 25, 2006, New Orleans returned to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina and beat the Falcons 23-3 in a game that became known as the “Rebirth” game. Gleason’s blocked punt helped turn that night into one of the most enduring images in Saints history. Two decades later, he says the moment still reaches into his daily life.
“The same play that helped New Orleans breathe again is a big reason I’m still breathing now,” Gleason said.
That line gives the anniversary a different weight. For the Saints, it is a celebration of a franchise milestone and a city memory. For Gleason, it is tied to the years that followed, including his 2011 ALS diagnosis, five years after the blocked punt that made him a Saints legend.
Gleason has lived far beyond the average life expectancy after an ALS diagnosis, which is about three to five years. He is among the 10-20% of patients who survive for 10 years or more. ALS has also changed nearly every part of his day: he uses speech synthesis technology to communicate and needs assistance to move and breathe.
Even so, the anniversary has not become just a look back. Gleason recently announced that he will release a musical album titled Rebirth, with songs largely influenced by his life since the diagnosis. The title links the project directly to the game that made him a symbol in New Orleans, while also pointing to the years that followed.
The Saints’ own commemoration is built around the same game. The team is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its return to the Superdome after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, a return that came after the Saints spent the previous year playing in other stadiums. The 23-3 win over Atlanta was the on-field result, but the larger memory is the night the Superdome felt like a starting point again.
Gleason’s place in that story is still being recognized. Mayor Helena Moreno will present him with a key to the city, a gesture that reflects both his role in Saints history and his advocacy for ALS awareness.
That is what makes this anniversary different from a routine team celebration. The Saints can point to a game, a score and a date. Gleason can point to the same night and say it has remained part of his life in a much more literal way.