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Former New Orleans Saints special teams player Steve Gleason, who has Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), has won the George Halas Award for overcoming adversity and succeeding. The award, announced Monday by the Professional Football Writers of America, is named for the former Chicago Bears owner and head coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame member. Gleason has helped raise funds to provide individuals with neuromuscular diseases or injuries with the leading-edge technology, equipment and services through his Gleason Initiative Foundation and Team Gleason organization. Gleason, 38, spent seven seasons in the NFL. In 2011, he was diagnosed with ALS. Fueled by his slogans "No White Flags!" and "Awesome Ain't Easy," Gleason and his foundation began to raise public awareness about ALS and find ways to combat the disease. He also completed work on his MBA from Tulane. Among many other initiatives, Gleason's efforts helped inspire the Steve Gleason Act of 2015, which passed through U.S. Senate in April and is pending a vote by the House of Representatives. The bill is aimed to give patients with ALS and related diseases access to speech-generating devices and other advanced technology through Medicare and Medicaid. Gleason, who was best known on the football field for his thrilling blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons when the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina in 2006, is the third member of the Saints franchise to win the Halas award. The others were quarterback Drew Brees in 2007 and kicker Tim Dempsey in 1972. Information from ESPN Saints reporter Mike Triplett and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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