The PFWA honor recognizes an NFL figure who overcame adversity to succeed.
Steve Gleason, the New Orleans Saints’ former special teams ace who has become one of the most recognizable faces in the fight against ALS, has won the George Halas Award.
Fans in New Orleans are familiar with the story of Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 and responded by forming Team Gleason, an organization dedicated to the fight against the neuromuscular disorder. Team Gleason has focused its efforts not only on finding a cure for the disease but also on helping those afflicted with the disease combat their symptoms.
In April, the U.S. Senate passed the Steve Gleason Act, which will make speech-generating devices available to patients through Medicare and Medicaid. The bill must still pass the House of Representatives and be signed into law.
Gleason, whose blocked punt in the Saints’ return to the Superdome in 2006 has become one of the franchise’s signature moments, is the third Saints player to receive the award, joining Tom Dempsey in 1972 and Drew Brees in 2007.
Via- Nick Underhill and Joel Erickson, the advocate