The NFL World lost one of its ambassadors today, as Gene Upshaw died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 63. I wanna touch on cancer issue first before I get to his NFL career.
Imagine being a family member of Upshaw's, finding out four days ago that your loved one was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and then all of a sudden, he is no longer with you. I can't imagine that, and I've been so fortunate that I have never been put in either side of that situation. Many others have not been so fortunate.
Just a few days ago, a friend of mine lost her mother to Pancreatic Cancer. Unlike Upshaw's bout, this bout lasted for a long time. I don't exactly know how long, but it was a sad situation for far too long. She was one of the nicest people you would ever meet in your life. And I'm not just saying that because of her passing, but I firmly believed it. We may not have spoken a lot, but everytime we did, she was a joy to be around. She had a great smile and a wonderful personality. Her kids definitely were raised by a wonderful person, and it shows. She will be missed.
Back to Upshaw. I think many people may know of his career. 15 years, all with the Oakland Raiders, to go along with 3 Super Bowl appearances in 3 different decades. He was one of the best Offensive Lineman the game has seen, a hall of famer on and off the field. Raiders owner Al Davis said that the community lost a "great man."
Let's just put that in perspective. Yes, we lost a great football player and a leader of the players organization. But, we also lost a husband, a father, and a great guy. Gene will be missed.
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