Former Washington State and New Orleans Saints football star Steve Gleason is being considered for a Congressional Gold Medal, the U.S. Senate announced Thursday.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor Congress can bestow on any civilian. Democratic Washington state Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell introduced bipartisan legislation in the Senate and the House Thursday to award Gleason a Congressional Gold Medal for his work as an advocate for people suffering from neuromuscular diseases such as ALS.
Gleason was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2011, and has been living with the condition since.