Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, who clashed repeatedly with NFL Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw in recent years, said Thursday morning that he never considered their feud to be personal.

Upshaw was a frequent target in Ditka's efforts to win more health benefits for retired NFL players. Upshaw died Wednesday night from pancreatic cancer.

Appearing Thursday morning on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning," Ditka said: "I think he was a good guy."

Ditka added:

"Here's the problem: You don't have to agree with someone on everything. I don't agree with my wife on everything. There are things you disagree on. Let's face it. My whole contention was that the disability program was a flawed program. So sometimes those things, instead of talking about the system, it gets to be a personal thing. It never got personal with me. I'm too old for that stuff.

"I'm just saying that even sometimes adversaries ... I have great respect for Gene. I think he brought the players association to the point where it is recognized as probably as good a union in all of sports and all of life, probably."

Ditka, a member of the Gridiron Greats board of directors, said he hopes Upshaw's lifetime in the NFL isn't remembered solely for the angst caused by this relatively recent issue. But, Ditka said:

"That shadows life. That's exactly what life is: What have you done for me lately. They remember the latest thing. You can be the greatest person in the world. You make one mistake at the end, that's what they're basically going to remember. Not that they should. And I think that's a tragedy in a sense."

Listen to the Ditka interview here.