Thought For The Day – Thursday 8th October 2026
Rebirth and Resilience
In late August 2005, “Hurricane Katrina” devastated Southeastern United States, particularly in, and around the city, of New Orleans.
This environmental disaster killed 1,392 people and cost $125 billion dollars of damage.
At the time, it led to questions of those experiencing environmental devastation being the least resourced to respond.
These questions very much remain the case globally in 2026.
In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the local American Football Team, New Orleans Saints, were homeless for a season, as their stadium was, first, severely damaged, and then, in subsequent months, used to house people who themselves had lost their homes.
“The Saints” would return to their stadium in late September 2006. Earlier that year, their Head Coach and Quarterback deliberately chose to join a struggling franchise and help lead and rebuild a team, a culture, and a city.
In 2010, New Orleans Saints, a losing team previously derided and disrespected, would win the “Superbowl”. From zeros to heroes.
In the week of their return to New Orleans on the 25th of September 2006, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the team finally could train in their stadium again. As game day neared, the Head Coach, as he recounted earlier this week, turned out all the lights. In pitch darkness, the players knelt on the field in an empty and dark stadium, almost as if in prayer. Then, on the giant video screens in the stadium, images of people suffering, and citizens helping, after Hurricane Katrina were movingly displayed. In the victory that followed a few days later in that first game back, the game ball was dedicated to the city, and people, of New Orleans. The very best teams have a higher cause.
In that same game, there was a symbolic and an iconic moment that has gone down in sporting history. In the opening stages of the game a then little-known “Special Teams” player, at the position of “Safety”, Steve Gleason, blocked a kick.
At the time, and for ever more, Steve Gleason’s resilience symbolised the rebirth of a team and a city. Indeed, a statue outside the stadium in New Orleans, called “Rebirth”, pictured in the first “rainbow” photograph above by Alex Restrepo, remembers this defining moment, which sent the crowd into raptures and captured the zeitgeist.
But, like New Orleans itself, Steve Gleason’s resilience and rebirth, his rebirth and resilience, would go on to take a massively enhanced meaning for so very many, transcending sport.
For, in 2011, Steve Gleason was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (A.L.S.), which, remarkably, he still lives with today, so many years after his diagnosis.
On Monday evening of this week, United States time, Steve Gleason returned to the very same stadium twenty years after his blocked of a kick epitomised, and led, a city. Just as twenty years ago, New Orleans Saints played Atlanta Falcons.
In the following two inspirational interviews, the very definition of resilience, Steve Gleason, who has wonderful support, beautifully, firstly counts his blessings, as he creates music and poetry, in New Orleans (a city famous also for its music). In the second report, pictured in the second photograph above, Steve Gleason reunites with Michael Koenen, whose kick he blocked on that September evening of resilience and rebirth, rebirth and resilience.
Saints legend talks famous play, battle with ALS – YouTube
Rebirth: The bond between Steve Gleason and Michael Koenen – YouTube
