Watch: Saints legend Steve Gleason captivates with powerful ESPYs speech

New Orleans has long known the legend of Steve Gleason, but it was brought in front of a larger audience Thursday evening at the ESPY's. The crowd on hand didn't leave disappointed.

Another Saints legend in Drew Brees introduced his former teammate as Gleason received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and he was assisted on stage by his son, Rivers.

“If you know anything about Steve, you know he’s always been determined to write his own story — and live to be 109,” Brees said, recalling the legendary blocked punt in 2006 and their relationship over the years.

Brees' speech was followed by a 6-minute video documenting Gleason's story, narrated by New Orleans native Anthony Mackie. The audience -- replete with some of the biggest stars across the world of sports -- responded with a standing ovation that lasted for nearly a minute at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

Gleason then captivated the audience, first with a joke about how he always enjoys an opportunity to wear his tuxedo shirt, followed by a 4-minute speech meant to inspire, but also share important messages about overcoming fear and sharing the weight of those experiences for the betterment of mankind.

Watch a video of the speech in the player above. Can't see the video? Click here . Read the full transcript below.

“This award, the Arthur Ashe award for courage is a sublime honor for me, and I always love the opportunity to wear my tuxedo. Arthur Ashe exemplified courage as living with an open heart, of humility, kindness and generosity, which united humanity, so to receive this award is amazing.

"When I learned I was receiving this award, I started reflecting on what that word, courage, means. To be courageous we must first experience loneliness, unworthiness or any of the faces of fear. I was told I would have 3 years to live when I was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, so I’ve got the wilderness of fear tattooed all over me. For me this honor represents an encouragement and triumph for the families currently living with ALS, all the people living with disabilities or other illnesses and all of you who experience fear or suffering. I suppose if you have never experienced fear, isolation or suffering, you can roll your sanctified ass right out of here.”

“The truth is no human is immune from fear or adversity, not even super athletes, royal princes or the most holy saints. Considering this truth of our humanity, it’s vital that we all individually and collectively discover ways to be courageous and love the life we have. My view is that the fears and adversities we encounter are our opportunity to accept what is and explore what is on the other side of fear, to grow stronger, better and have peace of mind. From this perspective, resiliently moving through the adversities life brings us is our purpose in being human.

"It’s clear to me that our ability to courageously share our vulnerabilities with each other is our greatest strength. By doing this, we are able to understand the issue, compassionately collaborate with each other to solve problems and overcome fear. Without the understanding and compassionate support from my family, community and caregivers, I’d have been dead years ago. Through this lens you can see we’re all in this together. We are all citizens of the world. Given our interconnectedness, the greatest aspect of our purpose is to generously help, serve and love others. Do we have the courage to unconditionally love our neighbors, our so-called enemies, and love ourselves?”

“I don’t think anyone will disagree that we face enornmous challenges in the 21st century. If we can courageously share our fears and limitations with each other and compassionately collaborate to solve problems, our human potential is boundless. If we can listen, understand and help alleviate each other’s suffering, then truly all things are possible.”

“Thank you again for this incredible honor. I love you all.”
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The Arthur Ashe award is given to "a deserving member of the sports world who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in, impacting people worldwide," according to a news release.

Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, has been an inspiration to the sports community in New Orleans and the nation at large for more than a decade. His nonprofit, Team Gleason, helps to empower those living with ALS through broad reaching initiatives and the goal of bringing an end to the disease. Gleason's blocked punt against the Falcons in 2006 is immortalized outside the Caesars Superdome.

Previous winners of the award include the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors Bill Russell, Kevin Love, Maya Moore, Vitali Klitschko and the U.S. Women's National Soccer team.

Others honored at the event, hosted by Serena Williams, included South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, as well as Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who received the Pat Tillman award for Service.