NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen Set To Retire After 40 Years With Union

Longtime NFLPA General Counsel RICHARD BERTHELSEN announced he will be retiring after serving the union for 40 years. Berthelsen joined the NFLPA as its first ever legal counsel in ’72 (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal). Berthelsen became General Counsel in '83. He will officially retire on May 15, but is taking a consulting role with the organization (NFLPA). NFL Network’s Albert Breer noted on Twitter that Berthelsen, in a speech to NFLPA player reps at the union’s annual meeting, said: "You here in this room have stepped forward as leaders to build this game. I hope you have HOF careers… I’m going to remember you as the men who built this game. This has been an incredible, unbelievable experience” (TWITTER.com, 3/22).