1-16-2019

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — WSU is creating a neuroscience center named for former Cougars and New Orleans Saints defensive back Steve Gleason.

The chancellor of WSU Health Sciences Spokane says the “Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience” will work with health care providers to bridge the gaps between care and potential treatments of neuro-degenerative diseases.

The 41-year-old Gleason, who is from Spokane, suffers from ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

On Sept. 25, 2006, Gleason famously blocked a punt by Michael Koenen of Atlanta into the end zone for a Saints touchdown in a 23-3 win — the very night the rebuilt Superdome and city of New Orleans hosted an NFL game for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.

The team built a statue honoring the defining moment of his career for a city that desperately needed a lift.