Notable deaths of 2008
Gene Upshaw was the executive director of the NFL Players' Association for 25 years and a former Oakland Raider before he died on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer. He led the NFLPA in its unsuccessful strike in 1987 and through years of anti-trust litigation against the league. In 1987, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He died at the age of 63. Coincidentally, the jersey he wore during his Hall of Fame career was 63. Associated Press
