Hall of Fame Guard Gene Upshaw, who as union head helped get NFL players’ free agency and the riches that comes with it, has died at aged 63. His death was announced by the NFL Players’ Association, which he headed for a quarter century. He had suffered from pancreatic cancer.

According to Fox News, “his outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Upshaw’s biography was posted on the front page of the Hall of Fame Web site Thursday along with his enshrinement speech from 1987.”

He became the executive director of the player’s association in 1983, and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, the players had a limited form of freedom, called Plan B, but in 1993, free agency and a salary cap were instituted.

From that time, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract that was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

As reported by Fox News, “Upshaw was criticized by some for not being tough enough in negotiations with Tagliabue, a close friend of the union head. He was also blamed by many older veterans for not dealing sufficiently with their health concerns.”

Nonetheless, the salary cap for the season is $116 million and the players are making close to 60 percent of the 32 teams’ total revenues, as specified in the 2006 agreement. According to owners, the players will be paid $4.5 billion this year.

To read the entire article from Fox News, link here:

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