Legal Commentary

Gene Upshaw, RIP

By Big Tent Democrat

The great Gene Upshaw, a great football player and leader of the NFL Players Association, has passed away:

Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame guard who during a quarter century as union head helped get NFL players free agency and the riches that came with it, has died. He was 63. Upshaw died Wednesday night at his home near California’s Lake Tahoe, of pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed only last Sunday, the NFL Players Association said Thursday. His wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel were by his side.

“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 said.

RIP, Gene Upshaw.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 21, 2008 (boomark / email).