Former Saints player Steve Gleason on life after the NFL (1 Viewer)

[kfran]

Great read - A class act and a great guy...

At 32, he's retired from the game, now working at the Shaw Group, the Baton Rouge oil and engineering conglomerate...

...What do you miss most about playing in the NFL?
People doing my laundry for me. It's the little things, man.

What do you not miss at all?
The late nights at training camp when I'm hoping that I did the right thing and that I'm going to make the team. That's a stressful time for guys like me, when you're always "on the bubble" and not sure what's going to happen.

Do you feel like you spent a lot of time on the bubble?
I spent my entire career on the bubble. I have the gray hairs to prove it.

You will always be known for a single play. Are you kind of resentful that, after all the years of hard work, that's what it came to?
Not at all. That's the kind of moment you dream about all your life: Being in front of tens of thousands of fans in the stadium and millions of fans on TV and to do something of great consequence. I did it, and I love that I did it. The fact that most people remember only that is fine by me. That's why we watch sports, and that's why we play sports -- for a moment like that.

What do you remember most about that play?
I vividly remember standing on the sidelines waiting for our special teams coach to give us the call: Is this going to be a return? Are we going to try to block it? Is it the play where I try to block the punt? And I remember he turned to me and said: "This is it, man. We're going for it."

There was a designed play where Steve Gleason tries to block the punt? Exactly. So I remember that moment. And I remember thinking -- as I broke through the line -- that I wasn't going to get there.

I was like: I don't think I'm going to make it. I don't think I'm going to make it. And then: I am going to make it! And I remember running through the end zone and dropping to my knees. I remember looking at the crowd and fully comprehending the magnitude of the moment. It was pure joy. And I thought: This is it. We're back..."

More...
http://www.nola.com/rose/index.ssf/2009/09/youve_got_to_give_credit.html

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FYI - Here's the block.

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[lonestarcajun]

I always thought Gleason was a very good STer. So, I remember him for more that play...

Having said that, oh what a play.

Pretty cool post. Thanks.

 

[UFCSaint]

Even him talking about it gives me chills.

 

[Arokusaki]

Reading that just gave me goosebumps.

 

[SilverSaint]

That was fantastic. Great post.

 

[bradman1965]

great article. thanks for posting.

 

[blasian]

Reading that just gave me goosebumps.

My eyes are watery

 

[JBL5023]

Gleason is definitely remembered for more than just that play. And I don't know why Rose kept calling him 'average'. The guy was an athlete.

 

[retthib]

Even him talking about it gives me chills.

Me too.

Id rather be remembered for 1 play than no play at all.

 

[llama]

My eyes are watery

Yep.

 

[Hedon James]

I always thought Gleason was a very good STer. So, I remember him for more that play...

Having said that, oh what a play.

Pretty cool post. Thanks.

I will always remember Gleason for TWO plays..."the block" in the return to the dome, and the game against Carolina where an obviously frustrated Gleason was on his knees in front of a Panther; it appeared that words were exchanged; and Steve delivered a swift uppercut to the guy's hoo-haa and dropped him to the turf!

Not exactly a "clean" play, but it showed me that Steve Gleason took crap from NO ONE, and even in a seemingly beaten position, he still had that NEVER SAY DIE attitude. I LOVED that!

Thanks for leaving it ALL on the field Steve, the way the game should be played!

 

[DarkBuddha]

awesome.
I remember this too, because I thought it was hilarious not because it summed up his career or anything:
http://www.cdol.com/saints/gleason-punch.avi

 

[Frank The Rat]

What do you want on your tombstone?
Good question. That I lived my life to the fullest. That I lived my life without fear. And that I treated other people, regardless of who they were, with dignity and respect.
What about the play?
. . . and that I had the greatest play in Saints history.

no disputing that the play is one of the greatest in Saints history, but is it THE greatest. The Hakim Dropped the ball play was significant. Maybe 1a and 1b.

I was upset when he had to retire. He was a solid special teams player.

 

[Rod-138]

I love Gleason. I'm going to have to go to Shaw group down the road and give him a Johnny Cage shot to the nuts and run away.
I think he'd appreciate that.

 

[mvtrucking]

He was always one of my favorite players, a special teams demon, I still bet Payton misses him occasionally.. Thanks for posting..