Steve Gleason’s Punt Still Shapes Saints-Falcons Rivalry
New Orleans marks 20 years since Steve Gleason’s blocked punt helped reopen the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. The play became a symbol of the city’s…
For New Orleans, the Saints’ return to the Superdome carried meaning far beyond football. Steve Gleason’s blocked punt helped define that night, and the Saints and Atlanta Falcons meet again at the Caesars’ Superdome on Monday night, 20 years after the game that reopened the stadium.
Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, killing more than 1,300 people and devastating the region. The Superdome, used as a shelter of last resort during the storm, suffered severe roof damage and remained inoperable for more than a year.
The stadium reopened to the public on Sept. 25, 2006, ahead of a Week 3 Monday Night Football game between the Saints and Falcons. The anniversary matchup brings the rivalry back to a night many New Orleans fans remember as a turning point in the city’s return.
One play made the moment stick.
Gleason’s block became a symbol of return
Less than 90 seconds into the game, Saints special-teamer Gleason charged up the middle and blocked Michael Koenen’s punt. Curtis Deloatch recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, setting off a response that reflected the charged atmosphere inside the reopened stadium.
The Saints won 23-3. ESPN analyst Stuart Scott noted afterward that “not a soul has left this building,” as cameras showed the stadium still packed with fans.
The play was later ranked No. 28 on the NFL’s “100 Greatest Plays” list. A statue titled “Rebirth” now stands outside the Superdome, commemorating Gleason’s block and its association with New Orleans’ recovery after the storm.
The city’s connection to the play is sharpened by what happened to Gleason afterward. Diagnosed with ALS in 2011, he has described the block as a moment that permanently linked him to New Orleans. In an interview with NFL Network’s Steve Wyche, Gleason said, “It means I’m alive.” He added that without the play, he believed he might have faded away as an anonymous former player.
Gleason is expected to attend Monday’s game. His phrase, “Never punt,” remains tied to the play that made him a New Orleans hero.
A rivalry carrying the memory forward
The anniversary also lands within a rivalry that has endured between the Saints and Falcons. The teams’ current players may have been too young to remember the 2006 game, but ESPN reports that they understand the matchup’s significance.
For New Orleans, the blocked punt joined a public reopening ceremony that included former Saints quarterback Archie Manning and first responders ushering fans into the stadium. The pregame program featured the Goo Goo Dolls, while Green Day and U2 performed inside. Former President George H.W. Bush oversaw the coin toss.
The Saints went on to reach the NFC Championship Game that season and won Super Bowl XLIV during the 2009 season. The blocked punt did not stand alone as the team’s later success, but it remains inseparable from the image of fans returning to the Dome and a city beginning a new chapter.
The game is scheduled for Monday night at 8:15 ET on ESPN, with Gleason expected in attendance.
Source: espn.com
