"It was the most electrical moment in my
sports career," Fujita says of the play, which is
often linked with the region's post-storm rebirth.
"We're all guilty of overstating the importance of
football, but that was one of those moments that
was so much bigger than just the game."
Fujita, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the
2009 Saints, remained close to his former team-
mate after Gleason's 2008 NFL retirement.
When Gleason star ted experiencing unex-
plained muscle spasms in 2010, he mentioned
the symptoms to Fujita.
"Steve was young. Never in my wildest
dreams did I think it could be ALS. But, it sound-
140
C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6
After publicly announcing his
ALS diagnosis, former teammates
Will Smith and Drew Brees escort
Gleason to midfield to lead Saints
fans in a 'Who Dat' chant.
New
Orleans
Saints
former
teammates
and
close
friends
Scott
Fujita
and
Steve
Gleason
worked
together
to
create
the
documentary
"Gleason,"
which
follows
Gleason's
diagnosis
and
journey
with
ALS.
Photo: Lauren Bowman
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
