Former NFL safety Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, University of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and Prince Harry will all receive special honors during next months’ ESPY Awards in Hollywood, ESPN announced Thursday.
Gleason, who played eight years for the New Orleans Saints, will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his fight against ALS and his founding of the nonprofit Team Gleason, which works to provide programming and support services for ALS patients as well as research to find a cure.
Previous recipients of the Arthur Ashe Award include Bill Russell, Kevin Love, USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.
Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, honoring not only her championship coaching but her support for women’s sports and work in the fight against cancer. Staley’s sister, Tracy Underwood, and former assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson, were both recently diagnosed with cancer, leading Staley to become a staunch advocate for cancer research, according to ESPN. She has also vocally pushed for gender equality and diversity in sports.
Former Jimmy V Award recipients include Jim Kelly, Dick Vitale, Rob Mendez and Liam Hendriks.
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service, honoring a person with strong ties to sports and who has “served others in a way that echoes the legacy of” Tillman, a former NFL player who left the game to become a U.S. Army Ranger and was killed in action. Prince Harry founded The Invictus Games Foundation, “creating an international platform to support wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women –both active-duty and veterans — who are navigating both physical and invisible injuries.”
Past recipients of the Tillman Award include Marcus Rashford, Gretchen Evans and the Buffalo Bills Training Staff who worked to save the life of player Damar Hamlin when he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.
“It’s our privilege to recognize three incredible individuals — Steve Gleason, Dawn Staley and Prince Harry,” Kate Jackson, ESPN vice president of production, said in a statement. “These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities, demonstrating incredible resilience, positivity and perseverance, and we’re thrilled to celebrate them at The 2024 ESPYS.”
The ESPY Awards will be presented July 11 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Serena Williams will host the event.