He played guard for the Raiders, 1967-1981. Who remembers a guard??? Old Raider fans do, and old KC Chiefs fans too. Gene was a badass, no question about it. Chiefs fans hated him. Because he was a Raider, but also because he was good. I read an article on him recently. He was a very smart, very hard worker. Controversial as the players’ union head, but I prefer to think of him as a Raider. #62 on The Sporting News top 100 players. Here’s the writeup:

It was a religious experience, a broom-waving moment for Oakland fans. Big No. 63 would step back at the snap, move laterally to his left and sprint ahead of a Raiders ball-toting convoy. First a defensive back would show up on Gene Upshaw’s radar screen, then a linebacker — targets for annihilation. Then a bulldozing block would send bodies flying and clear the way for another successful power sweep.

Upshaw was Oakland’s Big Sweeper and masterful left guard for 15 seasons, a line fixture from the 1967 day he was drafted out of Texas A&I by Al Davis. Upshaw was targeted for guard, even though his 6-5, 255-pound body was much bigger than the fire-plug-like players who traditionally manned the position. Davis was looking for somebody who could block monster Kansas City tackle Buck Buchanan (6-7, 270) and their one-on-one battles became football classics.

The intelligent, intense and always-dedicated Upshaw was equally proficient as a straight-ahead blocker or pass blocker, a 14-year linemate of Hall of Fame left tackle Art Shell. He also was a team leader, coach John Madden’s choice as offensive captain in 1969 — his third NFL season. Upshaw provided a liaison between an admiring Davis and the team’s players, who looked to him for advice. His intelligence carried over to the way he consistently approached his work.

The mild-mannered Upshaw could knock over writers with his enormous black eyes and thunderous laughter, or the body-pounding Upshaw could knock over defenders with his savage blocks. It’s no coincidence that the Raiders won the AFL championship in his rookie season and two Super Bowls before he retired after the 1981 season. They also reached the AFL/AFC championship game 10 times. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection started 207 straight games before the streak ended in his final season.

http://archive.sportingnews.com/nfl/100/