The birthday celebration inside Fulton Alley on Thursday night wasn’t a surprise for Steve Gleason. It was planned, and expected.
But the honor he was presented, while planned, wasn’t expected by the recipient.
The former New Orleans Saints safety and special teams ace had no idea that Thursday, during the celebration of his 41st birthday, he would be announced as the 2018 David Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award winner. Gleason will be presented the award on June 30, during the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 2018 induction dinner and ceremony, in Natchitoches.
The Dixon Award has been presented annually since 2005 by the 35-member, Hall of Fame selection committee of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.