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He recalled chatting with Upshaw last season on the NFL Players Association executive director’s visit to Minnesota, a year after Birk ripped Upshaw in an interview with the Star Tribune newspaper. Upshaw “kind of laughed the whole thing off” and wasn’t dismissive of his point of view, Birk said.
“It probably speaks to the kind of guy he was. We were able to talk seriously about some of the issues. What it came down to was that we agreed to disagree on the issues. ... There was some respect there,” Birk said.
Birk’s criticism was based on his belief that Upshaw wasn’t forthcoming enough with the rank and file and didn’t do enough to fight for better benefits for retired players.
“But obviously, you look at the life he lived and all the things he accomplished, it’s pretty amazing,” Birk said. “He’s certainly made an impact in a lot of ways in the NFL.”
Safety Darren Sharper, the team’s current union rep, called Upshaw’s passing a “big loss” for the NFLPA.
“We’re going to have to get somebody else to step in and fill that void,” Sharper said. “Gene definitely left a brilliant legacy that we all can kind of look up to and that we are all benefiting from.”
Coach Brad Childress remembered Upshaw for his knowledge of the game.
“I always thought Gene was great at getting here and impressing the troops, being hands on when he was here,” Childress said. “He was an administrator, but was also a former player. He understands things that go on in coaching. He wasn’t a stiff shirt or anything like that. He was a guy that you could communicate with, and I think that’s what you like about him. You knew that you were talking to a football guy when you were talking to him.”
FAMILIAR FACES: Beyond head coach Mike Tomlin, the former defensive coordinator of the Vikings, the Pittsburgh Steelers will bring several players with connections to Minnesota for Saturday’s preseason game.
Mewelde Moore spent the last four seasons with the Vikings. He’s joined on the depth chart behind Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall by ex-Gophers running back Gary Russell. Another former member of the maroon and gold, wide receiver Micah Rucker, is in Steelers camp. He transferred to Eastern Illinois after two little-used seasons at Minnesota.
Tight end Matt Spaeth, a Gophers star, was Pittsburgh’s third-round draft pick last year. Safety Tyrone Carter played both college and pro ball in Minneapolis. Even center Justin Hartwig, who grew up in Iowa and attended Kansas, was born in Mankato.
WHO’S PLAYING? Childress didn’t shed much light on who would play in Saturday’s game, and how much. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (knee) is progressing and moving “a little bit better every day,” the coach said. Jackson has been using a cold-water compression device to reduce the swelling.
“He’s made progress. There’s no question. You would like to see the next step in the process, but you have to balance that with, ‘Is it the prudent thing to do?’ and ‘Can he protect himself?’ I am not going to sacrifice one for the other,” he said.
Childress also made a point to publicly defend Jackson, who is dealing with his fifth significant injury in three years. He missed 4½ games last season and several weeks of his rookie year.
“I don’t want to insinuate with him that he’s not a tough guy or has to play injured,” Childress said. “I mean, he has to have some of his faculties. He has to be able to protect himself.”
