Hall of Fame guard and successful NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw only found out about his pancreatic cancer on Sunday.

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NEW YORK — Gene Upshaw, a towering lineman on the football field who went on to win untold millions of dollars for NFL players as their union leader, died Wednesday night at age 63.

Upshaw had a Hall of Fame career as a guard for the Oakland Raiders — a team that won two of the three Super Bowls it reached during his 15 years in a black and silver jersey.

But his work as executive director of the NFL Players Association over a quarter-century was even more important. It changed the business side of the league.

Upshaw died at his home near California's Lake Tahoe of pancreatic cancer, the NFL Players Association said Thursday. His wife Terri and sons Eugene Jr., Justin and Daniel were by his side.

NFLPA president and Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae said Upshaw only learned Sunday that he had the disease after falling ill and his wife taking him to a hospital.

"Gene was a great player. He was an All-Pro. He was a Hall of Famer. If you look at the history of the NFL, you're going to find out that he was one of the most influential people that the league has known. He did so much, not only for the players, but also for the owners, the teams, and the game of pro football," John Madden, who coached Upshaw when Oakland won its first Super Bowl, said in a statement.

"This is deeper than head of the union passing away, and it's deeper than an ex-player. This is missing someone that is and was like family. It's a tough day for all of us."

Upshaw's death reverberated throughout the NFL, a shock to owners and players alike, even those who had made him the focal point for their complaints over pension and health benefits for retired players.

As a player, the seven-time Pro Bowler was one of the best ever and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987, the first time he was eligible.

That also was the year Upshaw led the second players' strike in five years, a short walkout that led to the embarrassing spectacle of games with replacement players, or "scab football," as it was jokingly called at the time.

By 1989, while the union was pressing in court for a settlement, the league implemented a limited form of freedom, called Plan B. A new, seven-year contract was finally worked out in 1993, bringing in a new age of free agency and salary caps.

That will go down as Upshaw's legacy, because it brought prosperity to both union members and owners, and it leaves many of today's players appreciating Upshaw as a labor leader without knowing much about his playing career.

Brandon Moore, the New York Jets player representative, was 2 years old when Upshaw retired. Moore said simply: "From what I hear, he was a pretty good player."

What Upshaw did for Moore and his counterparts is make them money — the salary cap for this season is $116 million and the players are making close to 60 percent of the 32 teams' total revenues, as specified in the 2006 labor agreement. The players will be paid $4.5 billion this year, according to owners.

That sum led the owners to opt out in May from the collective bargaining agreement, meaning that if no new deal is reached, there will be an uncapped year in 2010, the season before the contract is expected to expire.

But that matter is for the future.

On Wednesday, people from both the sports and labor world rushed to pay tribute to Upshaw, one of the few African-Americans to lead a major union. That there were few indications that Upshaw was ill made his death even harder to take.

"He was and will remain a part of the fabric of our lives and of the Raider mystique and legacy," Raiders owner Al Davis said. "We loved him, and he loved us. We will miss him."

● 49ers 37, Bears 30: In Chicago, J.T. O'Sullivan made a perfect case to start. And Alex Smith's counter argument did not measure up.

O'Sullivan threw for 126 yards and a touchdown and had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 in his limited time. Smith came in and struggled, but the San Francisco 49ers held on to beat the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

Kyle Orton, who was named Chicago's starter on Monday, threw for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

● The Steelers signed linebacker James Farrior to a five-year, $18.2 million contract extension that includes a $5 million signing bonus.

● Steven Jackson signed a six-year, $44 million contract Thursday, a day after agreeing to end a 27-day holdout, and was on the field for practice with the Rams after completing a physical.

● The Patriots signed 10-year veteran Mike Flynn on Thursday in a move to shore up an injury-depleted offensive line.

● Ravens running back Willis McGahee, who is currently limited to running in a swimming pool as he recuperates from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, said he still expects to start the season opener.