Tears, laughter at Upshaw memorial

A stirring mix of laughter and tears filled the concert hall of the Kennedy Center on Tuesday as family, teammates and colleagues celebrated the life of Hall of Fame lineman and longtime NFL union head Gene Upshaw.

"He was my friend. He was my brother. I will never forget him," said Art Shell, who played alongside Upshaw on the Oakland Raiders offensive line for more than a decade. "Uppy, I'll miss you."

About 1,000 people gathered for the three-hour service, which featured the strong, impressive voices of the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir and speakers who recited hilarious anecdotes and other fond memories about the man whose toughness on the football field was matched only by his determination at the negotiating table as the executive director of the NFL Players Association for 25 years.


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