Gene Upshaw Dead at 63

As confirmed by NFL.com, Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw, who also served as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, died Thursday morning following a brief bout with pancreatic cancer.

Upshaw's death comes as a shock simply because there had been no prior reports of illness, and Upshaw himself had indicated he planned to stay on the job until a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was hammered out. According to the NFL Players Association, the former Oakland Raiders guard found out just this last Sunday that he had Pancreatic cancer, a deadly form of the disease that often displays no symptoms until late in its development, and he passed just four days later.

With a new season nearly upon us, it's likely that an interim director will be appointed to fill Upshaw's position with the union, and a permanent replacement will be named next winter during the annual owners' meetings.

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com speculates that possible replacements "include NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen, and NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler. Another possibility (albeit, in our view, remote) would be agent Tom Condon, who represented Upshaw and previously served as NFLPA President". (Editor's note: Berthelsen was, in fact, named as Upshaw's interim replacement Thursday.)

In addition to being the first player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after playing mainly the offensive guard position, Upshaw was the only player in NFL history to participate in Super Bowls in three different decades. He was also the only player ever to start on championship teams in both the AFL and NFL.

Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched.

Photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images