Steve Gleason, who was a defensive back for the New Orleans Saints, is best known for his 2006 block of the opposing team's punt in a game on September 25 against the Atlanta Falcons broadcast on Monday Night Football, which, according to Robert Mays writing for the Ringer, was "...the play that sparked a magical season, inspired a statue, and revived a franchise ..."[2][3][4] That game was the first time the Saints had played in their home stadium, the Superdome (now the Mercedes-Benz Superdome) since before Hurricane Katrina.

[5] In 2011, Steve Gleason was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease—a rare and incurable neurodegenerative disease that slowly robs the person afflicted of his or her motor functions, including eventually breathing—ultimately resulting in death.

[2][3][4] Pamphilon, who was biding time between New Orleans and his home in Seattle, followed the family around with a hand-held camera, and eventually, due to the logistical difficulty of proving adequate coverage, brought in Ty Minton-Small, a recent college graduate, as a second cameraman to help capture footage.

[3] In April 2012, a month after the NFL made the situation involving Williams and his staff public, Pamphilon released excerpts from the meeting without Gleason's permission, effectively ending their relationship and his role in the project.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Gleason stands out among sports-themed documentaries by offering a clear-eyed look at its subject's physical deterioration — and an intimate portrait of the family affected by his ordeal.