Death be not proud. The wondrous Gene Upshaw had everything to live for.
At 6'5"
and 260 pounds, he stood as the essence of a man's man. A NFL star performer for 15 years with the Oakland Raiders, and
a first ballot Hall of Famer in its aftermath. But most of all, Gene Upshaw will be, should be remembered as a caretaker.
The 63-year-old head of the National Football League's Players Association (NFLPA) died of pancreatic cancer on
Wednesday still holding the truths he believed most self-evident closest to his heart. For far more than an end, the dawn
of his perennially Pro Bowl career marked a stark, much brighter beginning for him, many of the warriors he lined up alongside
and scores of those that would follow in their wake.
"Few people in the history of the National Football League
have played the game as well as Gene and then had another career in football with so much positive impact on the structure
and competitiveness of the entire league as Gene," former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told ESPN.
Added current
Commissioner Roger Goodell: "Gene Upshaw did everything with great dignity, pride, and conviction. He was the rare individual
who earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame both for his accomplishments on the field and for his leadership of
the players off the field. He fought hard for the players, and always kept his focus on what was best for the game. His leadership
played a crucial role in taking the NFL and its players to new heights."
But much of it came
about as easily as brushing aside a 300-plus pound charging linemen intent on causing both him and the man he was instructed
to shield and protect all the harm one can imagine. Yet, Gene Upshaw always found a way to persevere, prosper even.
He
first made his indelible mark doing just that as the top pick of the Raiders in 1967 out of tiny Texas A&I University.
Soon he would emerge as a stalwart along their offensive line, anchoring the team's potent running attack which ultimately
lead to two Super Bowl wins and 11 playoff appearances over the course of his career. Along the way, Upshaw was named to seven
Pro Bowls and earned the distinction of being the only player in NFL history to play in Super Bowls during three decades (the
1960s, 70s and 80s).
But underneath all the glamour and fanfare, Gene Upshaw remained a man's man. The NFLPA Upshaw
has headed since 1983 has prospered so much during his tenure, NFL owners have elected to opt out of latest labor pact agreement
negotiated only two years ago, meaning the 2010 season may be played sans a cap.
Current team salary limits are topped
at $116 million, and players are making close to 60 percent of the 32 team's total revenues, as outlined in the agreement
Upshaw hammered out in 2006. Player salaries, meanwhile, have grown from an average of $485,000 in 1992 to $1.4 million last
year. In all, some estimates peg collective NFL player salaries at more than $4.5 billion for the upcoming season.
It
was also Upshaw who shepherded the players through the ill-fated 24-day strike of 1987, which ultimately ended with the owners
breaking the union and employing replacement players, and Upshaw eventually ushering in free agency. His death came only two
days after the union announced he would be holding a briefing on labor negotiations before the Sept. 4 season opener between
Washington and the New York Giants.
Still, Gene Upshaw was not without his critics; as a rostrum of former mates charged,
he seemed more concerned with the matters of today than making sure they too received their share of the ever-increasing NFL
pie. Upshaw countered that many of the players he played with were now receiving more in pension compensation than what they
earned in benefits while playing the game.
Though he only learned of his illness just days before, friends and family
insist Upshaw took the news of his imminent demise with the same poise and dignity with which he undertook each of his assignments
-- matter of factly and more concerned about those it would impact than even himself.
“He came in on Sunday,
but on Monday and Tuesday, he was wide awake,” said Dr. Thorn Mayer, medical director of the NFLPA. “It was on
Wednesday when his condition began to deteriorate, and some time after 10 p.m., I received the call of his death.”
In the last days, family members say he complained of everything from fatigue to a painful back, which caused him to pull
out of a celebrity golf event he had long look forward to. But always, Gene Upshaw kept it moving.
In the end, the
essence of the man and competitor was summed up best by one of those who long stood with him in the trenches. “Gene
was a true pioneer as one of the few African-American leaders of a major union," said fellow Hall of Famer Art Shell,
who starred on the offensive line alongside Upshaw with the Raiders during the height of their dominance and eventually became
the league's first black coach of the modern era in 1989.
“He was the equal of owners in negotiations and
made the league a better place for all players,” added Shell. “Playing alongside of Gene was an honor and a privilege.
He was a pillar of strength and leadership for our great Raider teams."
By GLENN MINNIS/Hoop Magazine