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NFL Veterans Are The Poor Amid Plenty

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 1, 2008

PHOENIX - The NFL has never been bigger or richer, and this is the week it flaunts it. The Super Bowl is here. The kingdom and the power are everywhere, people running to parties, to see or be seen.

Some are hidden.

Some can't run. Some can't walk.

Thursday, far from the crowds in the media tents to hear the Patriots and Giants talk about the league's biggest game, a smaller group of players, older players, retired players, many legendary, gathered in a convention center meeting room to talk about the league's greatest shame.

One came by motorized wheelchair. Others used canes. They came to promote the year-old Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides financial aid and social services to former NFL players in dire need.

It's a dirty secret. This empire was built on the broken bodies it has forgotten.

One by one they rose. Jerry Kramer, Gale Sayers, Mike Ditka. Michael Irvin, Carl Eller, Joe Greene. They rose to ask the league and players union to stop ignoring the cries of men who built the game, and who now need better pensions or disability relief, men in agony.

At one point, a man in a black suit rose with the help of his cane. It's never easy.

His name is Dave Pear. He's 54 and an original Buccaneer, a defensive lineman who lived through 0-26. He was also the first Buc to make the Pro Bowl. Now he stood, though not to speak.

He just couldn't sit anymore.

"I have to stand every 20 minutes," Pear said. That's the doctors' advice when the disks in his back and neck howl, as if they ever don't. Pear injured his spine while playing for the Oakland Raiders. He says he has not received a penny of disability from the league. Dave Pear's voice cracked.

"How do they live with themselves?"

Stories Of Pain

Listen to the story of Willie Wood, 70, Hall of Fame Packers safety, who couldn't afford assisted living. Listen to the story of Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, now in advanced stages of dementia, with no one hearing his family's plea for someone, anyone in football to help.

Listen to the story of Hall of Fame Steelers center Mike Webster, who died homeless.

Listen to forgotten men.

Now listen to Gene Upshaw, NFL Players Association executive director, who sat in the same meeting room a few hours after Gridiron Greats. Gene Upshaw, who played with some of the men he now ignores, explained the great strides being made for retired players, but also why the NFLPA doesn't have money to take care of its wounded alumni.

"Every dollar in the NFL is spoken for," he said.

And:

"We have as many liabilities as we have assets."

"Gene totally sold us out," Dave Pear said.

Listen to another Raider, Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long:

"My Hall of Fame induction was an epiphany. I saw how many guys physically struggled to be there."

Long met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell the other day. "I think the league needs to do more," Long said. "The union needs to do more, the rank and file needs to do more, former players like myself need to do more."

Iron Mike Ditka is on the board of directors for Gridiron Greats. Last year, Ditka wrote every single NFL owner to ask them to match his $100,000 donation. Two letters came back. The checks inside were so small Ditka sent them back.

"When we came into this league we were told we were in a family," Ditka said. "Well, no one should treat their family like this."

"It's near criminal," recently retired offensive lineman Kyle Turley said.

Listen to the stories.

Some of today's players have.

"You can never forget the guys who built the foundation," Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. "They can take something out of my paycheck. I owe the men who went before me."

"We all do," said Giants linebacker Kawika Mitchell, who also played for South Florida.

Listen to the story of Hall of Fame Packers cornerback Herb Adderley, 67, who faces daunting medical bills from injuries in his career. Adderley's pension used to be only $126.85 per month because he took early retirement. His friend and Packers teammate Jerry Kramer said the NFLPA recently upped Adderley's pension to ... $179 per month.

"Herby's now living in the south of France," Kramer said.

Adderley's story, and others, led Kramer to create Gridiron Greats to help down and out players.

A recent charity golf outing and online auction raised $100,000. Kramer put one of his Packers Super Bowl rings up for bidding. There was another golf fundraiser Thursday.

Kyle Turley blames Upshaw and the union. Turley donated a December week's pay to Gridiron Greats and sent word to every NFL player to do the same.

Roughly $400,000 was raised. Thursday, NFLPA president Troy Vincent seemed pleased to announce that 12 players participated.

Twelve.

Kawika Mitchell was one. His donation came to $46,875. "We have to do anything we can," Mitchell said.

More To Be Done

Dave Pear played three seasons for the Bucs, the last of them in 1978. He joined the Raiders in 1979. He later herniated a disk in his neck. "Broke my neck," Pear said. He said the trainers shot him up and he kept playing. His last game for the Raiders was a win in Super Bowl XV in 1981. One of his teammates was offensive lineman Gene Upshaw.

Pear has been fighting for NFL disability for 25 years. He has undergone seven surgeries on his spine. He has spent more than $500,000 on medical bills. His union pension was recently raised to $606 per month.

He lives in Seattle and has been on Social Security disability since he turned 50. Doctors told him no lifting anything heavier than 15 pounds. He benched 500 pounds as a player.

"I've been in pain for 25 years."

There now is a NFL joint-replacement program for retired players, and a cardiovascular screening program and assisted-living help and help for dementia from all those hits. It's not enough.

Dave Peartakes pain medications five times a day. He suffers from vertigo. He falls asleep because of his old concussions. There's memory loss.

But he says he won't forget the phone conversation he says he had with Commissioner Goodell. He said that at one point, Goodell told him, 'Who do you think I am, God?'"

Dave Pear steadied himself with his cane. The charity golf tournament was next.

He can't play golf, either.

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