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Merlin Olsen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Merlin Olsen | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | September 15, 1940 (age 66) |
| Place of birth |  Logan, Utah |
| Position(s) | Defensive Tackle |
| College | Utah State |
| NFL Draft | 1962 / Round 1/ Pick 3 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | 14 |
| Awards | 1970 Rams MVP 1972 Rams MVP 1974 Bert Bell Award 1968 Pro Bowl MVP 1961 Outland Trophy |
| Honors | NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 1960s All-Decade Team |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1962–1976 | Los Angeles Rams |
| College Hall of Fame | |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1982 | |
Merlin Jay Olsen (born September 15, 1940) is an American former National Football League player and actor.
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Born in Logan, Utah, Olsen attended Utah State University. He is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa and was a letterman in football as a defensive tackle. In football, as a senior, he was an All-American selection and was the winner of the Outland Trophy.
He played professionally (from 1962 to 1976) for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. The leading defensive star of his era, Olsen did not miss a single game in his 15-season NFL career.
Coming out of college, Olsen had offers from both Los Angeles of the NFL and Denver of the rival AFL. He chose the security of the NFL and signed with the Rams. Olsen's first contract was for around $50,000 for 2 years, plus a bonus. It was 1962, and the average football player salary back then was around $12,000 a year.
Olsen almost ended up on offense, but was later moved to the defensive line after a few experiments in practice. Soon he became part of one of the best front fours in NFL history. Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy joined Olsen on the defensive line in 1963 that was aptly nicknamed "The Fearsome Foursome." Throughout the 1960s, this foursome terrorized opposing offenses. Olsen's play helped the Rams to the playoffs in 1967 and 1969.
In the 1970s, Olsen continued his dominant play at defensive tackle and his 14 sacks in 1972 was second on the team. The Rams won the NFC West crown from 1973 to 1976 thanks in part to the solid play of Olsen. They ranked first in the NFL in run defense from 1973 to 1975 and finished second, second and fourth in sacking opposing passers during the three year span. In 1976, the Rams defense finished second in the NFL against the run.
Olsen's last game was the NFC Championship game in 1976 at Bloomington, Minnesota. The Rams were good enough to make it to the Super Bowl, but the opportunistic Vikings took advantage on a freak play early in the game. A blocked field goal returned 90 yards for a touchdown shocked the Rams in the first quarter. The defense was later victimized by a couple of big plays by the Vikings. The Rams came up short, bringing the storied career of the Rams finest defensive tackle to an end.
Olsen made the Pro Bowl a record 14 times throughout his career, only missing it on his final year. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. In 1999, he was ranked number 25 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Following his retirement as a player, Olsen went to television as a color commentator, teaming with Dick Enberg on NBC's coverage of the AFC throughout the 1980s.
- See also: NFL on NBC
He also enjoyed success as an actor, most notably as a regular on the series Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy. He has been a commercial spokesman for FTD Florists. His most recent television acting work was in the short-lived 1988 TV series Aaron's Way in which he played the lead role.
Olsen donated one of his cleats, which was bronzed, to be used during the annual football rivalry between two Las Vegas high schools, Eldorado High School and Chaparral High School, which both opened in 1973. Each year, Olsen presents the "trophy" in the ceremony at the rivalry game.
Olsen acted in the movie The Undefeated opposite John Wayne and Rock Hudson in 1969.
Olsen is also mentioned in the film Anchorman, as Will Ferrell humorously claims he is friends with Olsen to try to impress a woman he meets at a party.
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| Preceded by Tom Brown |
Outland Trophy Winners 1961 |
Succeeded by Bobby Bell |
| National Football League | NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team |
|---|
|
Sammy Baugh | Otto Graham | Joe Montana | Johnny Unitas | Jim Brown | Marion Motley | Bronko Nagurski | Walter Payton | Gale Sayers | O.J. Simpson | Steve Van Buren | Lance Alworth | Raymond Berry | Don Hutson | Jerry Rice | Mike Ditka | Kellen Winslow | Roosevelt Brown | Forrest Gregg | Anthony Muñoz | John Hannah | Jim Parker | Gene Upshaw | Mel Hein | Mike Webster | Deacon Jones | Gino Marchetti | Reggie White | Joe Greene | Bob Lilly | Merlin Olsen | Dick Butkus | Jack Ham | Ted Hendricks | Jack Lambert | Willie Lanier | Ray Nitschke | Lawrence Taylor | Mel Blount | Mike Haynes | Dick Lane | Rod Woodson | Ken Houston | Ronnie Lott | Larry Wilson | Ray Guy | Jan Stenerud | Billy Johnson |
| National Football League | NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team |
|---|
|
Terry Bradshaw | Ken Stabler | Roger Staubach | Earl Campbell | Franco Harris | Walter Payton | O.J. Simpson | Harold Carmichael | |
| National Football League | NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team |
|---|
|
Sonny Jurgensen | Bart Starr | Johnny Unitas | John David Crow | Paul Hornung | Leroy Kelly | Gale Sayers | Jim Brown | Jim Taylor | John Mackey | Del Shofner | Charley Taylor | Gary Collins | Boyd Dowler | Bob Brown | Forrest Gregg | Ralph Neely | Gene Hickerson | Jerry Kramer | Howard Mudd | Jim Ringo | Doug Atkins | Willie Davis | Deacon Jones | Alex Karras | Bob Lilly | Merlin Olsen | Dick Butkus | Larry Morris | Ray Nitschke | Tommy Nobis | Dave Robinson | Herb Adderley | Lem Barney | Bobby Boyd | Eddie Meador | Larry Wilson | Willie Wood | Jim Bakken | Don Chandler | |
Categories: Defensive lineman stubs | Utah people stubs | 1940 births | Living people | People from Utah | American football defensive tackles | Utah State Aggies football players | Los Angeles Rams players | Western Conference Pro Bowl players | National Conference Pro Bowl players | NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team | NFL 1970s All-Decade Team | NFL 1960s All-Decade Team | College Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame | National Football League announcers | Little House on the Prairie cast members