Gene Upshaw

No. 63

Position:

Personal information

Date of birth:

August 15, 1945

Place of birth:

Date of death:

August 20, 2008 (aged 63)

Place of death:

Height:

6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

Weight:

255 lb (116 kg)

Career information

High school:

College:

AFL draft:

1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17

Career history

Career highlights and awards

Career NFL statistics

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. (August 15, 1945 – August 20, 2008), also known as "Uptown Gene", was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Football League (NFL). He later served as the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA). In 1987, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also the only player in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in three different decades with the same team.

Upshaw was born in Robstown, Texas, and graduated from Robstown High School. He played college football at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville), where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. In 1967 at age 22, Upshaw married Jimmye Lee Hill-Upshaw (née Hill). Together they had one son, Eugene Upshaw III, and later divorced.

After playing football in college at a number of offensive line positions, he settled at left offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and the National Football League for 15 years. During that time, he played in three Super Bowls; in the 1967, 1976, and 1980 seasons, making him the first player to reach the game in three different decades (Jerry Rice and Bill Romanowski would later accomplish the feat in 2003). He also played in three AFL Championship Games, seven American Football Conference title games, one AFL All-Star game, and six NFL Pro Bowls. He was selected by The Sporting News' to the 1969 AFL All League team.