NFL players to wear uniform patch to honor Gene Upshaw

[tomkent53]

NFL players will wear a uniform patch this season to honor NFL Players' Association leader Gene Upshaw, who died Aug. 20.

The league announced Monday that the patch will have the initials GU and the number 63, which he wore while playing for the Oakland Raiders.

Upshaw died of pancreatic cancer just three days after he was diagnosed.

The patch will be worn on the left chest of jerseys and is scheduled to make its debut Thursday, when the New York Giants and Washington Redskins open the season. Upshaw's wife, Terri, and his three sons will participate in the coin toss.

Upshaw made the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 as the first player to play guard exclusively. He won two Super Bowls and made seven Pro Bowls in his 307-game NFL career.

He served 25 years as the executive director of the union from 1983 until his death.

The Raiders will also honor Upshaw in their opening game on Sept. 8 with a video tribute, and a replica of the uniform patch will be painted on the field in Oakland and at the Meadowlands.

"Gene was a truly unique, one-of-a-kind contributor to the NFL," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "No one in our game has ever combined Gene's level of achievement both as a Hall of Fame player and as an executive leader. No one did more for NFL players than Gene Upshaw. He deserves our everlasting respect and thanks."

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3563858

[Chubz]

what about the patch to honor the Veteren football players that Gene Upshaw and the players union didnt want to take care of. What about those guys, do they get a patch

[P J Shaker]

Originally Posted by Chubz

what about the patch to honor the Veteren football players that Gene Upshaw and the players union didnt want to take care of. What about those guys, do they get a patch

agreed....he did alot of things for the players..but he also did alot of things just to make him look good and never thought of the guys that he played with, that got hurt and never were the same...those palyers didnt get a lucrative job with the NFLPA.....

[tomkent53]

My question was if that meant that the Captains patch was going to move to the other side.
And even so, what about teams that have the patch for anniverseries? or better? The Steelers logo on the right side if the captains patch doesn't go on the left side.

Case in point:

[tomkent53]

Here's what the patch will look like. I say put it on the damn helmet.

[Darius Ali]

I say, have no patch at all. Remember him at his memorial service and move on.

[tomkent53]

I say put it on the back of the helmets like when Pat Tillman and Sean Taylor died.

[Darius Ali]

Did the entire league wear something when Taylor died?!

[Agent Zero]

Originally Posted by Darius Ali

Did the entire league wear something when Taylor died?!

I am pretty sure I remember everyone having a 21 sticker on their helmet.

[tomkent53]

Yeah they wore this on their helmets.



It was required for the week they honored Sean Taylor. After that, teams had the option of taking the decal off or keeping it on. Some took it off. Some didn't. Seahawks didn't take it off.

BUT.

The Redskins were the only ones with the 21 patch.



My opinion? The Gene Upshaw patch should be a decal on the helmet. And if any team is wearing it as a patch, it should be Oakland, and only Oakland.