60 Heroes: The Players' Advocate

The NFLPA and its members achieved several groundbreaking benefits during the 1970s and 1980s, thanks in large part to the legal work of Gene Keating. 

As a senior partner at Lindquist & Vennum, Keating represented the NFLPA in 1970 and 1971 in its successful application to become the first major sports union certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The successful labor lawyer also represented the union in several unfair labor practice trials, including the 1972 case that challenged the NFL owners’ refusal to bargain over the use of artificial turf in stadiums as well as the implementation of a “sudden death” overtime rule.

While serving as a pension and benefit specialist and NFLPA counsel on the Bert Bell Player Retirement Plan and Trust for more than 20 years, Keating was a staunch advocate for player benefits. He helped negotiated several groundbreaking benefits in the 1970s and 1980s, including the Line-of-Duty Disability, the Total & Permanent Disability and the first widow's benefit for players in the NFL. Keating retired from law practice in 1998 and passed away in 2005, leaving a legacy as an effective advocate for NFLPA member benefits.