Upshaw nfl upshaw’s in al davis oakland raiders

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The Raiders and the rest of the NFL will honor the life and the legacy
of Gene Upshaw during ceremonies this week.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jim football otto in al davis raiders

Al’s Wingman honors Otto’s accomplishments in the face of chronic
injury and hard times. As an icon and legend, today’s Raiders could
learn a lot from his story.

I recently re-read Jim Otto’s autobiography The Pain of Glory and was
reminded how much of a gladiator he was and how much of a football
legend he is today.

All Raiders fans owe it to themselves to read this book. To understand
the Raiders’ mystique you have to understand it through the eyes of
Jim Otto, who precedes Al as an Oakland Raider.Basically, Jim Otto is
a tough guy with a tough early life who toughed out an extensive and
storied pro football career—though what we see today is a
gnarled, shopworn, medical catastrophe sitting in the luxury box with
Al Davis. Both of them, behind the glass, appear as fossils.But make
no mistake, Jim is no Al bootlicking Yes Man. Jim Otto is his own man
and his book is incredibly forthright and personal on a variety of
subjects. His relationship with Al Davis as a coach, mentor, friend,
and team owner is all laid out.Jim listened to the Green Bay Packers
games on the radio as a youngster and there was an instant connection.
He knew he had to learn to play the game and be just as great as his
home team.Starting out was rough since he did not have the right
mentorship to learn how to play the sport. Jim was demeaned by his
high school football coach and had to stick it out as a benchwarmer
until ultimately getting his shot. Though he was a strapping blond
dude who had no problem enjoying himself socially, his greatest
passion was football. His perseverance conquered his limitations.

As his head coach in 1963, Jim describes Al’s coaching style as curt
and gruff, not a player’s coach. His primary focus was teaching
and then demanding execution the way the position was supposed to be
played.

That means, as a player, nothing in your life mattered except
mastering your assignments and exceeding your own limitations wherever
possible, because other teams will have no mercy on you.

You have to not only survive the other man’s onslaught, but you
have to excel and dominate. You don’t get glory without reaching
for it and squeezing everything you have to achieve your goal.
Whatever it takes, do it.This became the Raider way, as defined by Al
Davis in the 1960s, and it lived through the embodiment of Jim Otto.
That’s why he gets invited into the luxury box. It is the reward for a
career of sacrifices made for the game and for the franchise.Jim Otto
of the Oakland Raiders showed up every year in my football card
collection. He was distinctive because of his double zero. Plus, he
was the only guy who wore a neck brace. I always wondered why he chose
to use that particular piece of equipment.Finally, by reading his
book, I learned the history behind the neck brace. Jim had a chronic
neck injury which meant he would get stingers. The brace was intended
to at least provide cushion to blows that sent his head backwards.
It’s amazing that he played with that injury for his entire pro
career.Following his football career, Jim is a self-made man. His
highest salary as a player was $70,00. When he retired, he claimed
about twice that amount in deferred pay and he parlayed that into a
fast food empire. He is now a millionaire and he did it after his
career ended while simultaneously facing all kinds of medical
maintenance and repair.To me, this is partly what makes Jim Otto so
great. He never lets any situation defeat him. Regardless of his
circumstances, he excels.As a retired, medically disabled warrior, he
formed his own identity. You have to give credit where it is due. Jim
played the game as intensely as humanly possible and he endured
through the ups and downs of life as a pro athlete, as a great
teammate, and as a diehard Oakland Raider.Jim Otto is iconic in his
accomplishments in the game of football. His book is as open to the
reader as possible so by reading it you can really learn about the man
and his life inside and outside of football.

Good look into Otto’s past. Also thought it was funny that he was the
last guy allowed to wear the “00”, for a time they have him play with
50 as well. It was also interesting, was that when the Raiders and the
Packers played, Jim was noted by Vince Lombardi as the player he most
respected for his game play in super bowl II. One autograph, about 3
jerseys….and yep, about 50 cards of different years.

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