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Gene Upshaw
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{{Short description|American football player and labor leader (1945–2008)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Gene Upshaw | image = Gene Upshaw.jpg | alt = | caption = Upshaw during his time with the [[Oakland Raiders]] | number = 63 | position = [[Guard (gridiron football)|Guard]] | birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|8|15}} | birth_place = [[Robstown, Texas]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|8|20|1945|8|15}} | death_place = [[Lake Tahoe, California]], U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 255 | high_school = [[Robstown High School|Robstown]] | college = [[Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football|Texas A&I]] (1963–1966) | draftyear = 1967 | draftround = 1 | draftpick = 17 | pastteams = * [[Oakland Raiders]] ([[1967 American Football League season|1967]]–{{NFL Year|1981}}) | highlights = * 2× [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl XI|XI]], [[Super Bowl XV|XV]]) * [[American Football League playoffs|AFL champion]] ([[1967 American Football League Championship Game|1967]]) * 3× first-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1970 All-Pro Team|1970]], [[1974 All-Pro Team|1974]], [[1977 All-Pro Team|1977]]) * 2× first-team [[American Football League All-League Team|All-AFL]] ([[1968 All-AFL Team|1968]], [[1969 All-AFL Team|1969]]) * 5× second-team All-Pro ([[1971 All-Pro Team|1971]]–[[1973 All-Pro Team|1973]], [[1975 All-Pro Team|1975]], [[1976 All-Pro Team|1976]]) * Second-team All-AFL ([[1967 All-AFL Team|1967]]) * 6× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1973 Pro Bowl|1972]]–[[1978 Pro Bowl|1977]]) * [[American Football League All-Star game|AFL All-Star]] (1968) * [[NFL 1970s All-Decade Team]] * [[NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team]] * [[NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team]] ; NFL record * Most consecutive starts to begin a career, including playoffs: 231{{efn|207 regular season; 24 playoffs}} | statleague = AFL/NFL | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 217 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 207 | statlabel3 = [[Fumble]] recoveries | statvalue3 = 5 | pfr = UpshGe00 | HOF = gene-upshaw }} '''Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr.''' (August 15, 1945 – August 20, 2008) was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[guard (gridiron football)|guard]] who played for 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). Upshaw was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1987 and is also the only player in NFL history to reach the [[Super Bowl]] with the same team in three different decades. ==Early life== Upshaw was born in [[Robstown, Texas]], and graduated from [[Robstown High School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=UPSHAGEN01|title=Gene Upshaw|publisher=daabaseFootball.com|access-date=December 10, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408072529/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=UPSHAGEN01|archive-date=April 8, 2013}}</ref> 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. In 1967 at age 22, Upshaw married Jimmye Lee Hill-Upshaw (née Hill).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=20021031&id=ZPQwAAAAIBAJ&pg=6174,3466533&hl=en|title = Remains of Former Star's Ex Wife Found|date = October 31, 2002|work = Gadsden Times|access-date = October 28, 2015|via = google news}}</ref> Together they had one son, Eugene Upshaw III, and later divorced.<ref name=":0" /> ==Professional career== After playing football in college at a number of offensive line positions, he settled at left offensive [[Guard (American football)|guard]] for the [[Oakland Raiders]] in the [[American Football League]] and the [[National Football League]] for 15 years. During that time, he played in three [[Super Bowl]]s; in the 1967, 1976, and 1980 seasons, making him the first player to reach the game in three different decades ([[Jerry Rice]] and [[Bill Romanowski]] would later accomplish the feat in 2002, while [[Tom Brady]] later accomplished the feat in 2020). He also played in three AFL Championship Games, seven [[American Football Conference]] title games, one [[American Football League All-Star games|AFL All-Star game]], and six NFL Pro Bowls. He was selected by ''[[The Sporting News]]'' to the [[American Football League All-League Teams|1969 AFL All League]] team. He was part of a particularly strong offensive line during the 1976 season, with interior linemates [[Dave Dalby]] at center and [[George Buehler]] at right guard. In the 1976 AFC championship game of the [[1976–77 NFL playoffs]], the Raiders beat the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], rushing for 157 yards and passing for 88 yards. The Raiders then beat the [[Minnesota Vikings]] in [[Super Bowl XI]], rushing for a whopping 266 yards and passing for 180 yards, as Upshaw overwhelmed the opposing defensive tackle, [[Alan Page]], a Hall-of-Famer. In the 1980 AFC championship game of the [[1980–81 NFL playoffs]], the Raiders beat the [[San Diego Chargers]], rushing for 138 yards and passing for 261 yards. The Raiders then beat the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] in [[Super Bowl XV]], rushing for 117 yards and passing for 261 yards again, as Upshaw, Dalby, and right guard [[Mickey Marvin]] outmatched Eagle nose tackle [[Charlie Johnson (defensive tackle)|Charlie Johnson]] and inside linebackers [[Bill Bergey]] and [[Frank LeMaster]]. In 1999, he was ranked No. 62 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. He was the older brother of [[Marvin Upshaw]], who was a defensive lineman with the [[Cleveland Browns]], [[Kansas City Chiefs]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)|St. Louis Cardinals]]. Over the course of his sixteen seasons in the NFL, Upshaw witnessed—and, in many cases, participated in—many iconic NFL games and plays. These include the [[Heidi Game]], the [[Immaculate Reception]], [[The Sea of Hands]] Game, [[Ghost to the Post]], the [[Holy Roller (American football)|Holy Roller]] Game, and [[Red Right 88]]. He also reached three Super Bowls in three different decades ([[Super Bowl II|1967]], [[Super Bowl XI|1976]], and [[Super Bowl XV|1980]]); in total, Upshaw played in 24 playoff games with the Raiders. ==NFLPA career== Upshaw was an active member of the bargaining committee for the [[National Football League Players' Association]] (NFLPA) throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. He led the NFLPA in its unsuccessful strike in 1987 and through years of [[antitrust]] litigation against the league, including a brief period in which the NFLPA became a professional association rather than a union, that ended with the union's acceptance of a [[salary cap]] in return for free agency and an enhanced share of league revenues for the union's members. Until his death, he was the executive director of the association. In an infamous 1987 incident during labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFLPA, [[Dallas Cowboys]] president and general manager [[Tex Schramm]] told Upshaw, "Gene, here's what you have to understand: we're the ranchers and you're the cattle, and we can always get more cattle."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/how-players-won-nfl-lockout/|title=How Players Won the NFL Lockout|last=Meggyesy|first=David|date=July 27, 2011|work=[[The Nation]]|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-date=October 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030003928/https://www.thenation.com/article/how-players-won-nfl-lockout/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-22-me-upshaw22-story.html|title=Raider star later led NFL players union |last=Johnson|first=Greg|date=August 22, 2008|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 28, 2017}}</ref> He alienated many retired players after comments he made in response to 325 former AFL and NFL players receiving minimal retirement benefits. When the former players attempted to have the NFL and the NFLPA consider their plight, Upshaw responded: "The bottom line is I don't work for them. They don't hire me and they can't fire me. They can complain about me all day long. They can have their opinion. But the active players have the vote."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?a=top_lh&id=56338|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827210035/http://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?a=top_lh&id=56338|url-status=dead|title=Ex-players say NFL neglects retirees: Hall of Famers: League, union leader fall short in providing benefits|archivedate=August 27, 2008}}</ref> Upshaw later said he was misquoted and was speaking solely about fellow Hall of Famer [[Joe DeLamielleure]], further saying "A guy like DeLamielleure says the things he said about me; you think I'm going to invite him to dinner? No. I'm going to break his damn neck."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-07-08-sw-retirees_N.htm|title=NFL retirees feel forgotten as fight for benefits rages|last=Colston|first=Chris|date=August 13, 2007|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref> While Upshaw's comments were true on the letter of the NFL's benefit rules—the NFLPA is charged with the union rights of active players, and any matters dealing with retirees are subject to negotiations between the NFLPA and the NFL Management Council—they were badly received by both former and current players, fans, and the media. Prior to his death, a campaign was allegedly being led by Ravens kicker [[Matt Stover]] to oust Gene Upshaw as head of the NFLPA; however, all parties have denied such a plan. Stover along with a number of other players claim to have only been seeking a definite succession plan in order to avoid a drawn-out and messy transfer of power such as Upshaw's death has seen realized.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3545830|title=NFLPA director Upshaw, 63, dies of cancer|date=August 21, 2008|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> Tennessee Titans center [[Kevin Mawae]], president of the NFLPA, issued a statement saying that Stover's opinion did not reflect the opinion of the board of player representatives.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |title=Baltimore kicker Matt Stover wants to oust Upshaw as union head |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story?id=3336417 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=2008-04-08 |access-date=2022-11-07}}</ref> ==Halls of Fame and other honors== Upshaw was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1987. And in 1996, Upshaw was also inducted into the [[Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame]]. In 2004, the NCAA Division II sports information directors awarded the first Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. It is presented each year during the weekend of the NCAA Division II Football Championship by the Manheim (Pennsylvania) Touchdown Club. ==Death== [[File:Gene Upshaw GU patch.jpg|right|100px]] In mid-August 2008 at his home in [[Lake Tahoe]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a7DrqARApALY&refer=home|title=Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, Head of NFL Players' Union, Dies |last1=Arnold|first1=Laurence|last2=Kuriloff|first2=Aaron|date=August 21, 2007|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|access-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref> Upshaw began to feel ill. His wife Terri (née Buich) noticed that his breathing was labored, so she convinced him to go to the [[emergency room]], where he was diagnosed with [[pancreatic cancer]] on August 17. On August 20, Upshaw died with Terri and his sons Eugene III, Justin, and Daniel by his side, five days after his 63rd birthday.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/sports/football/22upshaw.html|title=Gene Upshaw, N.F.L. Union Chief, Dies |last=Battista|first=Judy|date=August 21, 2007|work=[[New York Times]]|access-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref> The Cancer Center at the hospital in Truckee, California where he died was named in his memory.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tahoecancercenter.com/|title=Tahoe Forest Cancer Center | Truckee CA|website=tahoecancercenter.com}}</ref> After his death, the NFL announced that all 32 teams would wear a patch on their jerseys with the initials "GU" and the number 63 for the opening weekend of the [[2008 NFL season|2008 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3563858|title=Players to wear uniform patch to honor Upshaw|date=September 1, 2008|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> Beginning in the second week of the season, all teams wore the patch as a decal on their backs of their helmets instead of a shoulder patch; while the Raiders continued to wear the shoulder patch throughout the season. In 2011, his son Eugene Upshaw III filed a lawsuit in Fairfax County Circuit Court regarding how the will was handled at the time of his father's death, stating his father was too ill to be able to understand the document he was signing.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Gene Upshaw's Will – or was it really his Will?|url = http://www.pennsylvaniafiduciarylitigation.com/2011/06/articles/probate-litigation-in-the-news/gene-upshaws-will-or-was-it-really-his-will/|website = Pennsylvania Fiduciary Litigation|access-date = October 29, 2015|date = June 15, 2011}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title = Gene Upshaw had $15 million fund from NFL players union|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/gene-upshaw-had-15-million-fund-from-nfl-players-union/2011/05/04/AFojGsrF_story.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = May 4, 2011|access-date = October 29, 2015|issn = 0190-8286|language = en|first = Tom|last = Jackman}}</ref> The case was settled out of court prior to the trial, but the facts of the case created more conflict between retired players and the NFLPA, with several prominent retired players/advocates lashing out at Upshaw and his family for a $15 million payment in his will and citing the large number of disabled and broke veterans who had no resources; however, the reporting also showed that the $15 million was a deferred payment from Upshaw's long tenure as the NFLPA head and the money was taken out of his salary during that time and served as a de facto pension separate from the issues that were causing controversy.<ref name=":1" /> ==See also== *[[Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame]] *[[List of American Football League players]] *[[List of most consecutive starts and games played by National Football League players#Offensive linemen|Most consecutive starts by a left guard]] ==Notes and references== {{Notelist}} {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{Commons}} *[http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=220 Pro Football Hall of Fame biography] {{Navboxes | title = | list1 = {{1967 NFL Draft}} {{Raiders1967DraftPicks}} {{RaidersFirstPick}} {{"Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year}} {{1967 Oakland Raiders}} {{Super Bowl XI}} {{Super Bowl XV}} {{NFL1970s}} {{NFL75}} {{NFL100}} {{1987 Football HOF}} {{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}} {{NFLPA executive directors}} {{NFLPA presidents}} }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Upshaw, Gene}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:2008 deaths]] [[Category:American Football League All-League players]] [[Category:American Football League All-Star players]] [[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]] [[Category:American football offensive guards]] [[Category:Oakland Raiders players]] [[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]] [[Category:Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football players]] [[Category:National Football League Players Association executive directors]] [[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California]] [[Category:National Football League Players Association presidents]] [[Category:American Football League players]] [[Category:People from Robstown, Texas]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Nueces County, Texas]] [[Category:African-American trade unionists]] [[Category:Trade unionists from Texas]] [[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]] [[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]] [[Category:Vice presidents of the AFL-CIO]]
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