In one of the most emotional moments in recent ESPY award history, retired New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason delivered a moment which will have sports fans around the world celebrating courage.Gleason was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The Ashe award is given to a sports person who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in. Among the past recipients are the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors, Bill Russell, Kevin Love, Maya Moore, Vitali Klitschko and the U.S. women’s national soccer team.The 47-year-old Gleason spent eight years in the NFL before retiring in 2008. Three years later, he went public with his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gleason established his nonprofit, Team Gleason, to help people with ALS live purposeful lives by providing programming and support services. It successfully lobbied for The Steve Gleason Act, which ensures the availability of life-sustaining communication devices in the U.S.“Over the past 13 years, I’ve been documenting our journey with ALS. My aim has always been to see if we can discover peace, freedom, and a love of life, even in the midst of extreme adversity,” Gleason said in a statement Thursday. “Being recognized at The 2024 ESPYS is not just an honor, but a powerful platform to further help and serve others.” In 2019, Gleason was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to ALS awareness. Earlier this year, he released his memoir. During his eight years with the New Orleans Saints, Gleason’s memorable punt block in the team’s first game back after Hurricane Katrina became a symbol of recovery in the city.COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2024 ESPYS WINNERSBest Athlete, Men’s Sports: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City ChiefsBest Athlete, Women’s Sports: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces Best Breakthrough Athlete: JuJu Watkins, USC Women’s BasketballBest Record-Breaking Performance: Caitlin Clark becomes NCAA’s All-Time Scoring Leader breaking Pete Maravich’s RecordBest Championship Performance: Jaylen Brown, Boston CelticsBest Comeback Athlete: Simone Biles, GymnastBest Play: Lamar Jackson Catches His Own PassBest Team: South Carolina Gamecocks, NCAA Women’s BasketballBest College Athlete, Men’s Sports: Jayden Daniels, LSU Football Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa Basketball Best Athlete with a Disability: Brenna Huckaby, Snowboarding Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles AngelsBest NHL Player: Connor McDavid, Edmonton OilersBest NBA Player: Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks Best WNBA Player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas AcesBest Driver: Max Verstappen, F1Best UFC Fighter: Sean O’MalleyBest Boxer: Terence CrawfordBest Soccer Player: Kylian Mbappé, France/Real MadridBest Golfer: Scottie SchefflerBest Tennis Player: Coco Gauff SPECIAL AWARDSJimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn StaleyArthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve GleasonPat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of SussexSPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDSMuhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Maui Surfing Community Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Conor Campbell, Ayanna Shah, Hannah Smith Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Angel City Football ClubStuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree: Brice ChristiansonSports Philanthropist of the Year Honoree: Boston Red Sox Ownership (John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino) Corporate Community Impact Award: JPMorganChase
In one of the most emotional moments in recent ESPY award history, retired New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason delivered a moment which will have sports fans around the world celebrating courage.
Gleason was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
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The Ashe award is given to a sports person who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in. Among the past recipients are the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors, Bill Russell, Kevin Love, Maya Moore, Vitali Klitschko and the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The 47-year-old Gleason spent eight years in the NFL before retiring in 2008. Three years later, he went public with his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Gleason established his nonprofit, Team Gleason, to help people with ALS live purposeful lives by providing programming and support services. It successfully lobbied for The Steve Gleason Act, which ensures the availability of life-sustaining communication devices in the U.S.
“Over the past 13 years, I’ve been documenting our journey with ALS. My aim has always been to see if we can discover peace, freedom, and a love of life, even in the midst of extreme adversity,” Gleason said in a statement Thursday. “Being recognized at The 2024 ESPYS is not just an honor, but a powerful platform to further help and serve others.”
In 2019, Gleason was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to ALS awareness. Earlier this year, he released his memoir.
During his eight years with the New Orleans Saints, Gleason’s memorable punt block in the team’s first game back after Hurricane Katrina became a symbol of recovery in the city.
COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2024 ESPYS WINNERS
Best Athlete, Men’s Sports: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best Athlete, Women’s Sports: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best Breakthrough Athlete: JuJu Watkins, USC Women’s Basketball
Best Record-Breaking Performance: Caitlin Clark becomes NCAA’s All-Time Scoring Leader breaking Pete Maravich’s Record
Best Championship Performance: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Best Comeback Athlete: Simone Biles, Gymnast
Best Play: Lamar Jackson Catches His Own Pass
Best Team: South Carolina Gamecocks, NCAA Women’s Basketball
Best College Athlete, Men’s Sports: Jayden Daniels, LSU Football
Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports: Caitlin Clark, Iowa Basketball
Best Athlete with a Disability: Brenna Huckaby, Snowboarding
Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Best NHL Player: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best NBA Player: Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
Best WNBA Player: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1
Best UFC Fighter: Sean O’Malley
Best Boxer: Terence Crawford
Best Soccer Player: Kylian Mbappé, France/Real Madrid
Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler
Best Tennis Player: Coco Gauff
SPECIAL AWARDS
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Dawn Staley
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Steve Gleason
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Maui Surfing Community
Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award: Conor Campbell, Ayanna Shah, Hannah Smith
Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year: Angel City Football Club
Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree: Brice Christianson
Sports Philanthropist of the Year Honoree: Boston Red Sox Ownership (John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino)
Corporate Community Impact Award: JPMorganChase
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