Gene Upshaw: Difference between revisions
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THE FOOTBALLER IS DEAD THANK YOU FOR PLAYING GOODNIGHT |
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{{Recent death|Upshaw, Gene|date=August 2008}} |
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{{Infobox NFLretired |
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|image=Gene Upshaw.JPG |
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|width=200 |
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|caption=<small>Gene Upshaw with the [[Oakland Raiders]].</small> |
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|position=[[Guard (American football)|Guard]] |
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|number=63 |
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|birthdate={{birth date|1945|8|15}}<BR>[[Robstown, Texas]] |
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|deathdate= {{death date and age|2008|8|20|1945|8|15}}<BR>[[Lake Tahoe, California]] |
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|debutyear=1967 |
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|finalyear=1981 |
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|draftyear=1967 |
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|draftround=3 |
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|draftpick=86 |
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|AFLdraftyear=1967 |
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|AFLdraftround=1 |
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|AFLdraftpick=17 |
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|college=[[Texas A&M University-Kingsville]] |
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|teams=<nowiki></nowiki> |
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*[[Oakland Raiders]] ([[1967 AFL season|1967]]-[[1981 NFL season|1981]]) |
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|stat1label=Games played |
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|stat1value=217 |
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|stat2label=Games started |
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|stat2value=207 |
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|stat3label=[[Fumble]] Recoveries |
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|stat3value=5 |
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|nfl=UPS276861 |
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|highlights=<nowiki></nowiki> |
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* 7x [[Pro Bowl]] selection ([[1969 Pro Bowl|1968]], [[1973 Pro Bowl|1972]], [[1974 Pro Bowl|1973]], [[1975 Pro Bowl|1974]], [[1976 Pro Bowl|1975]], [[1977 Pro Bowl|1976]], [[1978 Pro Bowl|1977]]) |
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* 11x [[All-Pro]] selection (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
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* 2x [[Super Bowl]] champion ([[Super Bowl XI|XI]], [[Super Bowl XV|XV]]) |
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* [[NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team]] |
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* [[NFL 1970s All-Decade Team]] |
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|HOF=220 |
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}} |
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'''Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr.''' ([[August 15]], [[1945]] – [[August 20]], [[2008]]) was an [[American football]] player for the [[Oakland Raiders]] and executive director of the [[National Football League Players' Association]] (NFLPA). In 1987, he was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]. |
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==Early life and football career== |
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Upshaw was born in [[Robstown, Texas]]. He graduated from Texas A&I University (now [[Texas A&M University-Kingsville]]), where he was a member of [[Alpha Phi Alpha]], the first intercollegiate [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternity]] established for [[African Americans]]. |
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After playing football in college at a number of offensive line positions, he played [[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. 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 ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News']]'' to the [[American Football League All-League Teams|1969 AFL All League]] team. |
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Upshaw was the only player in Pro Football history to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. In 1999, he was ranked number 62 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. |
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==NFLPA career== |
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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 [[anti-trust]] 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. |
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In 2006,Toussaint inherited all of his Nfl career money. 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 league and the Association consider their plight, Upshaw responded: "I don't work for them. They are not union members and they have no vote." <ref>http://www.insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?a=top_lh&id=56338</ref> In June, 2007, when asked by the ''[[Philadelphia Daily News]]'' about fellow Hall of Famer [[Joe DeLamielleure]]'s criticism, Upshaw replied "I'm going to break his Goddamn neck!"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://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=2007-08-13|work=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=2008-08-21}}</ref> Prior to his death, a campaign was being led by Ravens kicker [[Matt Stover]] to oust Gene Upshaw as head of the NFLPA. Tennessee Titans center [[Kevin Mawae]], president of the NFLPA, had denied reports of mass callings from players for Upshaw to step down.{{Fact|date=August 2008}}<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3545830</ref> |
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==Hall of Fame and other honors== |
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Upshaw was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1987, for his achievements as both a player and a union leader. |
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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 (Pa.) Touchdown Club. |
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==Death== |
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While on vacation in mid-August, 2008 at his home in [[Lake Tahoe]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a7DrqARApALY&refer=home|title=Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, Head of NFL Players' Union, Dies |last=Arnold|first=Laurence|last=Kuriloff|first=Aaron|date=2007-08-21|work=[[Bloomberg Muse]]|accessdate=2008-08-21}}</ref>, Upshaw began to feel ill. His wife Terri 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]], just five days after his 63rd birthday, Upshaw died with Terri and his sons Eugene III, Justin, and Daniel by his side.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/sports/football/22upshaw.html|title=Gene Upshaw, N.F.L. Union Chief, Dies |last=Battista|first=Judy|date=2007-08-21|work=[[New York Times]]|accessdate=2008-08-21}}</ref> Raiders owner [[Al Davis]] responded to the news, saying "The Raider Organization, the National Football League, and the world have lost a great man. Gene Upshaw's career successes as a professional football player and a union leader are unparalleled. He is as prominent a sportsman as the world has known. He was and will remain a part of the fabric of our lives and of the Raider mystique and legacy. We loved him and he loved us. We will miss him. Our hearts go out to Terri and the boys." |
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<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/sports/ci_10268029|title=Raiders Remember Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw |last=Dubow|first=Josh|date=2007-08-21|work=[[Red Bluff Daily News]]|accessdate=2008-08-21}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of American Football League players]] |
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* [[Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.conigliofamily.com/AFLHallofFamePhotos.htm#GeneUpshaw Upshaw's football card] |
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* ''Pro Football Hall of Fame:'' [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=220 member biography] |
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{{Super Bowl XI}} |
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{{Super Bowl XV}} |
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{{NFL1970s}} |
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{{NFL75}} |
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{{1987 Football HOF}} |
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{{start box}} |
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{{Succession box | title= [[National Football League Players Association|NFLPA President]] | before = [[Len Hauss]] | years=[[1980]]-[[April 25]], [[1986]] | after=[[Marvin Powell]]}} |
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{{Succession box | title= [[National Football League Players Association|NFLPA Executive Director]] | before = [[Ed Garvey]] | years=[[June 13]], [[1983]]-[[August 21]], [[2008]] | after=[[Richard Berthelsen]]}}{{end box}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Upshaw, Gene}} |
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[[Category:1945 births]] |
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[[Category:2008 deaths]] |
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[[Category:AFL All-League players]] |
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[[Category:AFL All-Star players]] |
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[[Category:African American sportspeople]] |
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[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]] |
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[[Category:American football offensive guards]] |
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[[Category:NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team]] |
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[[Category:Oakland Raiders (AFL) players]] |
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[[Category:Oakland Raiders players]] |
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[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame]] |
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[[Category:Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas football players]] |
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[[Category:American labor leaders]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer]] |
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Revision as of 23:32, 23 August 2008
THE FOOTBALLER IS DEAD THANK YOU FOR PLAYING GOODNIGHT