Former NFL player Marvin Upshaw dies at 77

Marvin Upshaw, who had a nine-year NFL career with the Browns, Chiefs and Cardinals, has died at the age of 77.

Upshaw and his older brother, Hall of Famer and former players’ union head Gene Upshaw, grew up in Robstown, Texas, and their family confirmed to 3 News in South Texas that Marvin died in a hospital in Modesto, California.

Marvin Upshaw played defensive end at the small Trinity University, but he made a big enough impact that he was a first-round pick of the Browns in the 1968 NFL draft.

After two years in Cleveland, Upshaw was traded to Kansas City, and he played the bulk of his career with the Chiefs as a solid contributor, including starting all 14 games for four straight years from 1971 to 1974.

Upshaw finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976.