Gene Upshaw

Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. (born August 15, 1945 in Robstown, Texas) is a former football offensive guard who played for the Oakland Raiders for sixteen years after graduating from Texas A&I University. He played in three Super Bowls in the 1967, 1976 and 1980 seasons; he also played in ten title games in the American Football League and the American Football Conference and seven Pro Bowls. His combination of size, speed, intelligence, intensity, exceptional leadership ability led him to be selected for the Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Related Topics:
August 15 - 1945 - Robstown, Texas - Football - Offensive guard - Oakland Raiders - Texas A&I University - Super Bowl - 1967 - 1976 - 1980 - American Football League - American Football Conference

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He was an active member of the bargaining committee for the National Football League Players' Association throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. Following Ed Garvey's retirement from the NFLPA in 1983, Upshaw succeeded him as Executive Director of the union. 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.

Related Topics:
National Football League Players' Association - 1970s - 1980s - 1983 - 1987 - Anti-trust - Salary cap

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Upshaw is a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

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