CHICAGO — The NFL Players Association produced copies of seven checks sent on behalf of former player Brian DeMarco for $9,748.81 in the last nine months after DeMarco appeared at a Chicago news conference and on Chicago television Monday to claim he was getting no help from the union for what he called crippling disabilities.

"No one in my office could believe this was the guy they were talking about," said NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw on Monday night. "We've been taking care of this guy."

DeMarco, 35, former offensive lineman for Jacksonville and Cincinnati, appeared at Mike Ditka's restaurant as part of an ongoing effort by "Gridiron Greats" to help retired players in dire need.

Gridiron Greats was started by former Green Bay guard Jerry Kramer, who enlisted Ditka's help. While Upshaw pointed to the emergency aid provided DeMarco, Jennifer Smith, executive director of the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, told The New York Times that DeMarco's main concern was not the emergency assistance the union had provided, but the long-term medical costs that he would face throughout his life.

"The dire-need funds have nothing to do with long-term disability," Smith said. "He has sent in four different disability forms that have never been addressed by the NFLPA and we had heard a variety of excuses for what has happened to those forms. Brian has never been assigned an NFL doctor for evaluation for disability, nor has a case file ever been opened for him."

Ditka and Upshaw, both Hall of Fame players, have engaged in an ongoing feud about how the union treats former players.

"This is unacceptable," Ditka said as he introduced DeMarco, who needed help getting to the podium.

Upshaw said DeMarco has not applied for disability after DeMarco and disputed the lack of communication.