Gleason was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease on January 15, 2011, after retiring from the NFL. In 2018, he fought to convince Congress to approve the Steve Gleason Act. Tens of thousands of people suffering from degenerative illnesses now have improved access to communication technologies. The law provided $20 million over five years for research and treatment programs at national institutes of health. Gleason played football for two years at Florida State University before being drafted by the New York Jets in 1987. He played nine seasons with the Jets, finishing as their all-time leading passer until Brett Favre came along. Gleason also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins. After his retirement, Gleason worked as a security guard at Harvard University and went to several other schools to teach social distancing techniques before the virus had been identified. He died on April 18, 2019 at the age of 45. According to the Guardian, Gleason's family said he had no previous symptoms prior to falling ill earlier this year. They added that he was "clearly devastated" by the news of his diagnosis. Gleason's wife, Jeanette, told reporters that she believes her husband got the disease because he spent so much time working outside while wearing only a T-shirt and shorts.