Gene Upshaw

At 63 years old, Gene Upshaw has this physical status:

Eugene Josiah Upshaw Jr. (August 15, 1945 – August 20, 2008), also known as "Uptown Gene" and "Highway 63), was an American football player with the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Football League (NFL).

He later served as the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA).

In 1987, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He is also the only player in NFL history to play in three separate decades with the same team.

Early life

Upshaw was born in Robstown, Texas, and graduated from Robstown High School. He played college football at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville), where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Jimmye Lee Hill-Upshaw was born in 1967 at the age of 22. Eugene Upshaw III, their one son, and later divorced.

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Football career

After playing football in college at a variety of offensive line positions, he landed as left offensive guard for the Oakland Browns in the American Football League and the National Football League for 15 years. He appeared in three Super Bowls, including in the 1967, 1976, and 1980 seasons, making him the first player to play in three decades (Jerry Rice and Bill Romanowski would later achieve the feat in 2003). He has appeared in three AFL Championship Games, seven American Football Conference championship games, one AFL All-Star game, and six NFL Pro Bowls. He was chosen by The Sporting News' to the 1969 AFL All League team.

During the 1976 season, he was part of a strong offensive line, with interior linemates Dave Dalby at center and George Buehler at right guard. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 97-76 NFL playoffs, rushing for 157 yards and passing for 88 yards. In Super Bowl XI, the Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings, rushing for a whopping 266 yards and passing for 180 yards as Upshaw stunned opposing defensive tackle Alan Page, a Hall-of-Famer. The Raiders defeated the San Diego Chargers in 1980 AFC championship game of the 1980-81 NFL playoffs, rushing for 138 yards and passing for 261 yards. As Upshaw, Dalby, and right guard Mickey Marvin defeated Eagle nose tackle Charlie Johnson and inside linebackers Bill Bergey and Frank LeMaster, the Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, rushing for 117 yards and passing for 261 yards.

He was ranked No. 1 in 1999 and 1998. On The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, 62nd on the list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

He was Marvin Upshaw's older brother, who was a defensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Upshaw watched — and in some cases participated in—many iconic NFL games and performances over his sixteen seasons as a quarterback in the NFL. The Heidi Game, the Immaculate Reception, The Sea of Hands Game, Ghost to the Post, the Holy Roller Game, and the Red Right 88 are among those. Upshaw appeared in 24 playoff games with the Raiders, winning three Super Bowls in three separate decades (1967, 1976, and 1980).

NFLPA career

Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Upshaw was a member of the National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA). He led the NFLPA in the 1990s and into years of antitrust litigation against the league, including a brief period in which the NFLPA became a professional association rather than a union, which culminated in the union's acceptance of a salary cap in exchange for a free agency and a larger share of union income for the union's members. He served as the executive director of the corporation before his death.

"Gene, here's what you need to hear: we're the ranchers and you're the cattle," Dallas Cowboys president and general manager Tex Schramm told Upshaw, "We're the ranchers and you're the cattle, and we'll always have more cattle."

Since making in reaction to 325 former AFL and NFL players receiving no retirement compensation, he alienated several retired players. Upshaw said, "The bottom line is I don't work for them." As the former players attempted to have the NFL and the NFLPA consider their plights. They don't want me to fire me because they can't fire me. They can rant about me all day long. They will have their own opinion. However, the presenter has the vote. Later, Upshaw said he was mistakenly reported and was speaking solely about fellow Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure, and that "a guy like DeLamielleure says the things he said about me"; do you think I'm going to invite him to dinner?" No. "I'm going to break his damn neck," says the author. Although Upshaw's words were true on the letter of the NFL's benefit laws—the NFLPA is charged with the union rights of active players, as well as any issues involving retirees—both former and existing players, followers, and the public were unimpressed by both former and present players. A campaign was allegedly led by Ravens kicker Matt Stover to oust Gene Upshaw as the head of the NFLPA prior to his death; however, both teams have denied such a scheme. Stover and a number of other players claim to have only been waiting for a concrete succession scheme in order to prevent a lengthy and complicated change of control, which has not occurred as a result of Upshaw's death. Kevin Mawae, the NFLPA's president, had denied reports of mass calls from players for Upshaw.

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