Dear Mr. Conyers
My name is Joe DeLamielleure and I am a retired NFL player. I have sent you emails before about the situation with our union and the state of our disability/pensions. I am happy to see that we are gaining some ground, but just like in my playing days I am not going to let up until I see this through to the end.
It is a gross injustice how the retired players are being treated by the union. Many players are disabled because they gave so much to the game and now they find the game is giving little back to them. We did not play in a time of multi-million dollar signing bonuses and contracts; we played because we loved the game. In fact, many worked off-season jobs …that will give you a clear picture of the discrepancy between pay now and then. The retired players are not fighting to get rich, we are fighting for basic dignity and justice. The NFL would not be the richest league in professional sports without the retirees paving the way. It is only right that the pensions and disability plans provide a means for NFL veterans to live a dignified life with their basic needs met.
I have been very outspoken about this topic because I know first-hand how desperate some retirees are for some help with medical issues and basic living expenses. As stated in previous emails, the pensions of most players who played in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s are at poverty level. When you couple that with the physical consequence of playing football for so many years, the situation can become dire very quickly.
As this issue started to get more media attention and Gene Upshaw became more aware that I was exposing these issues to the media, he was quoted as saying he would “break my G– d— neck”. As if his treatment of the pensions/disability were not appalling enough, he publicly threatens a union member. It is mind-boggling to me that he has managed to keep his position.
I apologize for being so wordy, but to be honest, this doesn’t even scratch the surface. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to hear that you requested a Congressional Research Service Report to investigate how the NFL/NFLPA have handled our disability issues, but I feel like we are still in the thick of the fight to get justice to the retirees. I am going to continue to work for change and I will hope that you can see how necessary this battle is for all of the NFL Alumni.
Sincerely,
Joe DeLamielleure
Buffalo Bills ‘73-’79, ‘85
Cleveland Browns ‘80-’84
Hall of Fame 2003
