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The Free Lance Star (Fredericksburg, Va.)
July 15, 2007 12:35 am
by STEVE DeSHAZO

UNLIKE MANY of his peers, Joe DeLamielleuere didn't need a cane or a walker when he visited Fredericksburg yesterday. But the Hall of Famer might need something other retired NFL players don't: a bodyguard.

DeLamielleuere, who blocked for O.J. Simpson during his glory days in Buffalo, has been one of the most outspoken critics of NFL Players Union boss Gene Upshaw. He feels the union isn't doing nearly enough to take care of the men who helped build the league into a billion-dollar business.

In response, Upshaw told The Philadelphia Daily News last month: "A guy like DeLamielleuere says the things he said about me, you think I'm going to invite him to dinner? No, I'm going to break his --- damn neck."

DeLamielleuere yesterday called that "an irresponsible statement," but that doesn't mean he's not taking it seriously--not with a wife and nine children (four of them adopted). And not when he and his wife grew up in Detroit, where unions don't mess around. He's genuinely worried more about his loved ones than himself.

Still, it's hard to find anyone who doesn't support DeLamielleuere's cause--except perhaps Upshaw and the 1,800 active players he represents.

"We've got the greatest game in the world, with the worst pension and disability [benefits]," DeLamielleuere said during a visit to the Card Cellar at Four-Mile Fork with fellow Hall of Famer Lem Barney.

"If I were a current player, I would educate myself on what these [retired] guys are complaining about. These are the guys who built this league."

What they're complaining about is a pension system that averages less than $13,000 a year per man. The NFL told The Associated Press last month that it pays out $126 million annually in pension and post-career disability benefits, but that only 317 out of more than 10,000 eligible players received disability payments last year.

Football is a violent game that pays well (in the short term), but can leave permanent damage to the body and brain.

Another Hall of Famer, Mike Ditka, has joined the chorus. He testified before Congress last month, when elected officials heard heartbreaking stories like that of former Oakland Raider Curt Marsh, who had a leg amputated and more than 30 surgeries before he was approved for disability.

Ex-Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster suffered from dementia that was likely caused by concussions before he died homeless in 2002. Former All-Pro Earl Campbell can barely walk. Upshaw's former linemate in Oakland, Jim Otto, can barely get out of bed because of all the damage his body suffered in 15 years.

Even Fredericksburg native George Coghill, who played just four seasons with the Denver Broncos (but absorbed some of the worst collisions on special teams) severely hyperextended his right elbow and can't fully extend his arm.

"People see you on TV and think you're set for life," Coghill said recently, "but five years later, you still hurt."

If these former players had made the millions today's stars do, it might not be an issue. But Barney never made more than $125,000 in a year before retiring in 1977. "I was a million-dollar player," he said with a smile. "I just didn't get paid like one."

DeLamielleuere's best annual paycheck was $200,000--less than half the league minimum today. And these are relatively healthy Hall of Famers. That's why they count on income from autograph signings like yesterday's.

What about the guys who don't have fame or money? Can't the union find a slice of the pie for the men who sacrificed their bodies to build the NFL into a cash cow?

Congress seemed genuinely moved by last month's gut-wrenching testimony, but there's a war on and an election coming.

New NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has set up a summit later this summer with the league, the union and retirees. But he has been busy negotiating new TV deals, disciplining current knuckleheads like Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson and pondering what he might do about Michael Vick.

What's the answer?

"I don't know," DeLamielleuere said. "I don't have a platform, other than that I'm in the Hall of Fame."

It's a good place to start. And a good fight to pursue.