NEW ORLEANS — Twenty years after one of the most memorable nights in New Orleans sports history, the Saints will commemorate the team’s historic return to the Superdome with a special Monday Night Football celebration.
The Caesars Superdome will host a 20th anniversary tribute to the Saints’ Sept. 25, 2006, homecoming, when the team returned to New Orleans for the first time following Hurricane Katrina.
The celebration will bring together members of the 2006 Saints team, New Orleans musicians and Team Gleason to remember a night that became a symbol of the city’s recovery.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early, with Champions Square opening at 4 p.m. for expanded gameday entertainment, interactive fan experiences and special programming.
Before kickoff, Grammy Award-winning New Orleans singer Irma Thomas will join rising local artist River Eckert for a performance of the National Anthem. The performance will air live on ESPN.
Halftime will feature Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue alongside Eric Church, Kirk Franklin, Juvenile, Cyril Neville and Ivan Neville. The performance, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, will also air nationally on ESPN.
The Saints will recognize Steve Gleason and Curtis Deloatch as Legends of the Game for their roles in one of the defining plays of the 2006 homecoming.
Early in the first quarter of that game, Gleason blocked an Atlanta Falcons punt, which Deloatch recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. The play sent the Superdome crowd into a frenzy and helped propel New Orleans to a 23-3 victory over Atlanta.
Several other members of the 2006 Saints team will be recognized throughout Monday night’s game.
Team Gleason will serve as the beneficiary of the game’s 50/50 raffle. Proceeds will support the organization’s work assisting people living with ALS through technology, equipment, services and advocacy.
The Saints’ 2006 return to the Superdome came more than a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and forced the team to play its entire 2005 season away from the city.
Two decades later, the blocked punt, the roar of the Superdome crowd and the Saints’ victory remain among the most recognizable moments in franchise history.
Monday night’s celebration will give the Saints and their fans an opportunity to remember the players, music and community that made the team’s return home about much more than football.
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