The NFL Players Association says executive director Gene Upshaw has died. The Hall of Fame guard was 63.

As union head, Upshaw helped NFL players obtain free agency and the riches that came with it.

His outstanding 15-season playing career was entirely with the Oakland Raiders and included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances.

In 1983, he became executive director of the players’ association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football.