Steve Gleason played eight years for the New Orleans Saints and, in 2011, was diagnosed with ALS. Shortly after his diagnosis, he founded Team Gleason, a foundation that has been a leader in raising awareness of the disease and improving the lives of those affected by it. Steve also helped found Answer ALS, the largest and most comprehensive ALS research platform in history. He has been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the most prestigious civilian honor Congress can bestow, has passed two laws, received the NCAA Inspiration Award, ESPY's Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, and in 2014, he was named Sports Illustrated Inspiration of the Year. He lives with his wife, Michel, and their two children in New Orleans.
JEFF DUNCAN, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, is a sports columnist for
the New Orleans Times-Picayune and was a member of the team that won two Pulitzer Prizes for the paper's coverage of Hurricane Katrina. He is the author of Payton and Brees, Tales from the New Orleans Saints Sideline, and From Bags to Riches.
