The Falcons and Saints have been rivals for 50 seasons but Friday night Atlanta owner Arthur Blank said he’s been inspired by a former New Orleans player.

Ex-safety Steve Gleason, who once blocked a punt against Blank’s Falcons in 2006, is fighting ALS, a disease that impacts the lives of more than 6,000 people each year. He is the subject of a new documentary titled “Gleason.”

At a screening Friday night in Atlanta, Blank’s foundation donated $100,000 to The Gleason Initiative Foundation to help provide innovative communication equipment to people with ALS.

“Steve Gleason’s story touched me as a father and recent cancer survivor,” Blank said. “Stories like his bring into focus what is truly important. His story is about a life that was dramatically changed by a disease, and how he has courageously chosen to face it. It’s about family and what is most important in life – more important than any game, any play or any rivalry ever will be.”

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback coach D.J. Williams addresses members of the press after the Atlanta Falcons’ joint practice with the Tennessee Titans at the Falcons Practice Facility in Flowery Branch on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025.
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