Upshaw: None drafted into NFL did more for players and league

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Sep 3, 2008 | by Monte Poole

ROCK of tranquility surrounded by a sea of insanity. And he was there, always there, to containing the insanity, galvanizing it, directing it into constructive energy.

This was his role as a Raider, as an NFL executive, as a man.

So it's appropriate that two weeks after Gene Upshaw's death, the NFL will open its season tonight with his widow and their sons at center stage, performing coin-flip before kickoff. Images of Upshaw will play on video screens, and his initials will be on the field as the New York Giants play host to Washington.

The same will occur in San Francisco on Sunday and Oakland on Monday, as well as the other 13 games this weekend.

Yes, Upshaw was that important.

Certainly the most remarkable player-turned-executive in the history of major American sports.

Understand, I didn't always agree with Upshaw's direction as executive director of the NFL Players Association -- especially as it relates to the treatment of the ancient warriors. It seems an injustice that the NFL, which requires more personal risk and sacrifice than any other major team sport, has a benefits and retirement package inferior to those of major league baseball and the NBA.

Given the league's popularity, the money it mints through tickets and TV contracts, as well as the role of pre-1980s players in cultivating the product, it's a shame the league has so many retirees whose needs go unmet.

That said, Upshaw's overall impact, as a Raider limping off the field after games and as a member of the NFL fraternity, facing off with owners in a boardroom, is without debate.

No individual drafted into the league has done more.

Upshaw was the most influential Raider ever to suit up. Jim Otto was the original Oakland Raider, the heart of the offense for 15 years, at Al Davis' side for 34 more. John Madden crafted winning and personality like no other Raiders coach. Tom Flores went from quarterback to head coach, where he won two Super Bowls. The list of distinguished Raiders runs dozens deep.

But only Upshaw, drafted on the first round in 1967 from tiny Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), played in three Super Bowls, in three different decades. If Shell was Oakland's quiet conscience during the glory years, Upshaw was its chief analyst and unifying force. Amid a colorful band of talented misfits and unfits, he was the respected leader. He talked a lot, nearly always as the voice of reason.

Those Raiders were richly talented because Davis and personnel ace Ron Wolf found useful veterans and gifted youngsters in places others dared to go. Small colleges. Predominantly black colleges. Track teams. It worked for the better part of 20 years, into the mid- 1980s. There is a reason Upshaw has started more postseason games (24) than any Raider. Ever.

Yet it was Upshaw's seamless transition from impact player to impact executive that illustrated the depth of what he had to offer.

His post-career ambitions were evident during his playing days. He invested in real estate. He and his brother, Marvin, owned a nightspot, Uppy's, on Jack London Square. These days, they call it diversifying. Gene also immersed himself into the business end of the NFL, becoming a member of the bargaining committee for the NFLPA while still in uniform.

Even then, he was looking out for those who suited up on Sundays.

That never changed, because Upshaw's greatest professional legacy is the bounty available to today's NFL players. It was to come with time, yes, but Upshaw managed to navigate through negotiations and walk away respected, if not beloved.

He knew it was a tough job. He didn't care to be loved by anyone outside his family.

Retired football players leave this planet just about every week. Their former teams often acknowledge the loss with a moment of silence. Upshaw gets more than that.

Because he was a star who stayed involved and helped with growth. Because his death came so suddenly and hit so hard and leaves such a vacuum.

NFL uniforms this season will adorn a patch with the initials "GU." If a player wants to kiss it, I'll understand.

Contact Monte Poole at mpoole@bayareanewsgroup.com.