The New Orleans Saints have unveiled a statue dedicated to the team's "rebirth."
It's a memory embedded in the minds of Saints fans – Sept. 25, 2006, the day the team ran through the Superdome tunnel for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
Now, that day will forever be captured in a statue depicting the moment that former Saints player Steve Gleason blocked the punt against the Atlanta Falcons, starting the dream season that ended with the team going to its first-ever NFC championship.
The entire Saints team turned out Friday, dodging raindrops and eventually being driven inside by a lightning storm. Fitting, perhaps, that on the day this particular sculpture was dedicated, there would be obstacles to overcome.
On Sept. 25, 2006, Gleason's block against Falcons punter Michael Koenen seemed to announce to the world that the team, and the city, were back. The new statute depicts that exact instant when Gleason made contact with the ball. It's an image frozen in the minds of the Saints nations, now immortalized.
The rain let up finally, just enough for the unveiling of a statue that marks a very special moment in time; a moment of rebirth.
