Wow. Those NFL players that wanted a new head of the players union got their wish, but most likely not the way that they wanted. According to a Clear Channel report citing unnamed sources, Hall of Famer and long-time leader of the NFLPA, Gene Upshaw, is dead at the age of 63 after a bout with pancreatic cancer.

The illness wasn’t reported and his death is completely unexpected. Upshaw played with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders from 1967-1981 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987

Micah Warren is a sports writer from New York and the founder of Blast's sports section and the Off the Record sports blog.