Visited with some of the old-time greats of pro football this morning at the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund news conference.  Mike Ditka and Gale Sayers are on the executive board. This group is just one year old, but is already creating hope for some needy ex-players who try to live off of menial pensions, struggle getting approval for disability, and in some cases just out right in dire need to live.

Sayers related a story that should really not come as a big surprise, yet is disappointing at the same time.

"About two years ago there's a running back...I'm not going to mention his name," Sayers said. "I asked him, 'do you know who Jim Brown was?', and he said, "no I don't". And that's very, very sad. When you have a good running back out there and he does not know the history of the game. Who's shoulders are they standing on?"

Sayers supports a league wide entry history lesson for rookies so they understand how their own futures are tied to the past.

Among the players participating today was Chiefs offensive lineman Kyle Turley who is the most visible current player helping out the retirees. He volunteered one of his December game checks and urged every player in the league to give one up raising nearly 400-hundred thousand dollars.  He said Bears center Olin Kreutz just chipped in $50,000. 

Hall of Fame Vikings defensive end Carl Eller blames a lot of this mess on current union leader and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Gene Upshaw.

"I played against Gene," Eller said. "I thought he was a great guy. But when he comes out and says he doesn't represent us(retired players), that was a break because I thought he was. I mean I honestly thought he was."

Then Eller asked the more than 30 greats present if they assumed Upshaw had their "back" at the bargaining table with the NFL and the players union and every single player raised his hand. 

It's obvious they've been duped.

There is apparently over $1.2 billion dollars in a pension fund for ex-players, but the money is not being distributed in ways that benefit those in the greatest need.