The following is a guest article by Matthew Coller

When pro football Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure’s daughter walked into a Buffalo Bills merchandise store in Western New York, she expected to walk out wearing dad's No. 68. After all, "Joe D" blocked for O.J. Simpson, Brian Sipe and famously battled Pittsburgh Steeler legend "Mean" Joe Greene. But Joe D's daughter walked out empty handed.

Not because his name was too long to fit on a jersey, but because of a long-standing grudge with the NFL Players Association. Grudge may be putting it lightly. Deceased former President of the Players Association Gene Upshaw once said of DeLamielleure, "I'm going to break his damn neck." Upshaw's threat failed to curtail DeLamielleure's outspokenness concerning the NFLPA's treatment of retired players. The passing of Upshaw didn't affect DeLamielleure's stance either.

"Upshaw was the most arrogant and cold-hearted man I've ever met," DeLamielleure said. "I never say I hate anyone, but I despise Upshaw."

Since Upshaw's death, the NFLPA named a successor DeMaurice Smith, but DeLamielleure is skeptical about the possibility of better treatment for retired players.

"He (DeMaurice Smith) is the guy they want," he said. "It's like naming Obama President but keeping Dick Cheney; you're not going to change anything."

Here's the root of the conflict between retired players and the NFLPA: The NFLPA currently receives 60 percent of the $8.6 billion revenue of the league, "a crumb" as DeLamielleure puts it, is what retired players receive. The real number is less than two percent of the 60 percent. Under the current plan, players receive $475 per month for every year of service if a player qualifies for pension. To qualify, a player must be on an NFL roster for four full seasons. The fifth season is their first "credited" season, which means their pension then starts to increase with each additional season played. The pension does not include an inflation clause, which means if you accumulated $47,000 in pension, when you turn 55, likely over 20 years later, you get $47,000.

"What kind of prosperous union doesn't have an inflation clause?" DeLamielleure said. "It's disgusting. You have Hall of Famers suffering and they don't want to do anything about it."

Those who have tried to do something about it have had limited success. Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk sent letters to over 1,500 NFL players asking them to donate game checks to help struggling retired players. Under 20 players donated.

Birk recently filled in for famed Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King to write about the struggles of retired players. His sentiments mirrored those of DeLamiellure, but Birk said the it's up to the current players to help struggling retired players.

"The NFLPA wants the money to go to current players because football salaries already lag behind their baseball and basketball counterparts," Birk said in his column. "If this problem is going to be remedied it's going to have to come from the current players.

DeLamiellure remains cynical about the possibility of more current players reaching out. He said they are undereducated on the issue and are being told the league is a brotherhood and they will be "taken care of." To Joe D, responsibility and accountability falls on the NFLPA and its new president.

"The current players have no clue because, why would they?" DeLamielleure said. "Half of them don't even know who Walter Peyton is. You think these young kids are going to bite the hand that feeds them?"

In 2002, that 'hand,' the NFLPA raised pensions by $110 million. The increase went to 1,400 players who played before 1977 and 800 who played before 1959. The latter received an increase from $100 to $200 per month. Joe D used his former peers pensions to demonstrate how the increase was smoke and mirrors.

According to DeLamielleure, NFL legends Herb Adderly, Leroy Kelly and Mel Renfro were receiving less than $150 per month before the increase. After the increase they were making $172. Joe D's pension rose from $990 to $1,265.47 per month. And though general perception may be that professional athletes are living in mansions and driving Mercedes, Kelly, a six-time Pro Bowler, signed his first contract with the Browns for $17,000 - including the signing bonus. First overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft Matt Stafford's signing bonus with the Detroit Lions is about 3,000 times what Kelly's was.

To further put the figures in perspective, when Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. turns 62, he will make over $13,000 per month. Ripken played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball. Former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green played 20 seasons in the NFL and will receive less than half what Ripken will get per month. The dollar difference during Ripken and Green's playing careers is as staggering as their pensions. In 1985, Ripken's rookie season, he made $800,000. In 2002, after seven Pro Bowl appearances, Green made $880,000.

"I stood in front of a room of Hall of Famers and said 50 percent of nothing, is nothing," DeLamielleure said of the 2002 pension increase. "And Upshaw just stood there and grinned like 'what are you going to do about it?' We are divided, we're all over the nation and we have no voice."

Former Baltimore Colt Bruce Laird, who is currently President of Fourth and Goal, a non- profit organization whose goal is to assist retired players who face pension and disability issues, said DeLamielleure isn't exaggerating.

"The union, prior to DeMaurice Smith, did not allow communication between retired players and active players," Laird said. "It's been something the union has tried to hide for over 27 years, under Doug Allen and Gene Upshaw, they did not want us to communicate with the active players. They wanted to tell them their story and not the true story."

In May 2009 Fourth and Goal teamed up with the NFL Alumni Association to work as advocates for retired players in dire need. Laird said the partnership also plans to push for representation in the NFLPA and increase communication between current and retired players.

Though Laird and DeLamielleure continue the fight for retired players, both agree that new President Smith has the reins in his hands. They are determined and dedicated to their cause, though at times the uphill battle is more like climbing Mt. Rainier. Joe D said they will never reach the peak without the cooperation of the NFLPA's new president.

"Now there's a new guy in town, a new sheriff and it's his job to inform these kids about what's going to happen to them," DeLamielleure said. "They're going to be in the same boat we are, their pensions suck and they don't even know about it. DeMaurice Smith is holding a bunch of people's lives in his hands and he probably didn't even realize it when he took the job."

The NFLPA refused to comment on Joe D. It may be awhile before DeLamielleure jerseys are on the shelf.

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