What happened to Steve Gleason? All you need to know about former Saints safety

Steve Gleason is a famous former professional football safety who played in the NFL for eight years. The Indianapolis Colts signed him after he went undrafted in the 2000 NFL Draft. He was released by the Colts after pre-season and was acquired by the New Orleans Saints the same year.

Steve Gleason was destined for a more significant role, and the undrafted player continued to play for the Saints for eight years. In 2007, he had a microsurgery on his right knee, which led him to miss the entire season.

The following season, he hung up his cleats as a free agent right before he married the love of his life, Michael Rae Varisco.

“The time’s right. I’m getting married. I can walk away with my health,” I want to be active and adventurous when I’m 80 years old. If football was all I had in my life, I probably could play three or four more years. Who knows?”

Three years later, his health became a primary concern for him and his family. In 2011, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It is an undermining disease that causes muscle atrophy and motor neuron loss, and most patients only survive a year or two.

Right six weeks after the diagnosis, his wife discovered she was pregnant with her son, Rivers. This time, Gleason decided they would devote their lives to fighting ALS. In 2018, the couple welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Gray.

In September this year, Gleason was admitted to the hospital after having critically low sodium levels and a week of continuous hiccups. It was a concerning situation, as he might have developed pneumonia, which could have been lethal. Steve Gleason was kept under supervision and was released from the hospital after his recovery.

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The early years of Steve Gleason

Steve Gleason

Steve Gleason was born in Spokane, Washington, on March 19, 1977. He was highly active from the start and played football and baseball for Gonzaga Prep High School. He played as a linebacker and fullback for the Bullpups and was the defensive MVP in the Greater Spokane League for two consecutive years.

His athletic reputation in high school attracted scholarship offers from nearby colleges. He accepted the scholarship offered by Washington State University as a two-time team captain and received All-Pac 10 honors three times. He had the ninth-most tackles in program history with 282.

He also played baseball for the Cougars and currently holds the school record for triples.

During his NFL career, he was best known for blocking a punt early in a 2006 game that became a symbol of recovery in New Orleans, as the team's first home game following Hurricane Katrina.