Steve Gleason ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award

LOS ANGELES —

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.

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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