Posted by Josh KatzowitzThe other day we told you about the story, written by the New Orleans Times Picayune that revealed that former Saints standout special teams player Steve Gleason had been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, at the age of 34.
While the nasty disease has no known cure and Gleason eventually will lose all control of his body movement, he’s remained optimistic while raising funds and awareness for the malady. The TP story -- and Gleason’s admission -- was cited by the Saints in their comeback victory against the Texans, and evidently, the story touched the city of New Orleans.
That was evident Monday night when the Saints presented Gleason with a Super Bowl XLIV ring and city mayor Mitch Landrieu also gave Gleason a key to the city during a private party, according to the Times Picayune.
"At the beginning of the game, I never knew if we were going to win or lose, but I was always for certain that I was going to walk out of there with my head held high because I got ready, I had the right people around me, and I was going to give it everything I had," Gleason said during a six-minute speech. "It's the same now. We're going to give it everything we've got. I have a calming sense of certainty that we're going to win this thing."
Said Scott Fujita, who attended the event: “This isn't about Steve having ALS. This is about Steve and his contribution to the 2009 team and the championship. He deserved it."
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