RIP Merlin Olsen

[Goldmember]

Great player, great announcer

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-hall-of-fame/09000d5d816e2991/Merlin-Olsen-dies

Adam_Schefter RT @OneRamsWay Rams legend and Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen passed away after long battle with cancer. Condolences to his family.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nfl/news/story?id=4985470&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Merlin Olsen, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who was part of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" line of the 1960s, has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 69.

Olsen, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma last year and had been undergoing chemotherapy, died Wednesday night, Utah State assistant athletic media relations director Zach Fisher said.

The burley giant from northern Utah joined Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier on the Rams' storied "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line known for either stopping or knocking backward whatever offenses it faced. The Rams set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season in 1968.

Olsen was rookie of the year for the Rams in 1962 and is still the Rams' all-time leader in career tackles with 915. He was named to 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, a string that started his rookie year, and was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

Olsen was also an established television actor with a role on "Little House on the Prairie," then starring in his own series, "Father Murphy," from 1981 to 1983 and the short-lived "Aaron's Way" in 1988.

Olsen was a consensus All-American at Utah State and won the 1961 Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman. The Rams drafted Olsen third overall in 1962 and he spent the next 15 years with the team before retiring in 1976.

Utah State honored Olsen in December by naming the football field at Romney Stadium "Merlin Olsen Field." Because of his illness, Olsen's alma mater didn't want to wait until football season and made the announcement during halftime of a basketball game.

Olsen was well enough to attend, but did not speak at the event. He stood and smiled as he waved to fans during a standing ovation and chants of "Merlin Olsen!" and "Aggie Legend!"

Utah State is also planning a statue of Olsen at the southeast corner of the stadium.

The Rams also honored Olsen during a game Dec. 20, with a video tribute narrated by Dick Enberg, Olsen's longtime broadcast partner. Olsen did not attend because of his health. His name was already part of the Ring of Fame inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis along with other franchise standouts.

He was voted NFC defensive lineman of the year in 1973 and the NFL MVP in 1974.

[Reerun_KC]

RIP....

[Chiefnj2]

That sucks. I didn't know he was sick. RIP Merlin.

[cdcox]

Great DT.

[Saulbadguy]

Loved Merlin Olsen in "Mitchell".

[Crush]

RIP Merlin. You were one of the best.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Amnorix]

Great announcer. Really liked him.

[ROYC75]

We lost a good one, RIP man.

[warrior]

Great Player---RIP

[siberian khatru]

Good guy.

Will his family get a discount on flowers for the funeral?

[RedThat]

RIP Merlin

[Gadzooks]

Man, I haven't seen or heard of him since Little House on the Prairie.

RIP.

[Rain Man]

Merlin was one of the great defensive tackles of my youth. It was kind of a golden age for defensive tackles: Buck Buchanan, Merlin Olsen, Bob Lilly, Joe Greene, Alan Page, Randy White...I could never decide which two were the starters in my made-up football games.

[RedThat]

Merlin was one of the great defensive tackles of my youth. It was kind of a golden age for defensive tackles: Buck Buchanan, Merlin Olsen, Bob Lilly, Joe Greene, Alan Page, Randy White...I could never decide which two were the starters in my made-up football games.

Yeah talk about an excellent class of DT's during that era.

[Danman]

RIP. Agree with Rain Man

[DTLB58]

Great player as he is still the Rams all-time
leader in tackles. Plus he teamed with Dick Enberg
to call NFL games very several years including Super Bowls.

Real good guy and HOF player.

RIP

[Chief Henry]

He was a gentleman indeed.

[mikey23545]

Shit...

The man was all class on and off the field. Fantastic DL and then teamed with Enberg to form one of the best announcing teams of all time...

RIP, big man...

[Brock]

He finally beat Dobler at something. j/k, sorry to hear about this.

[CoMoChief]

RIP

Never watched him play, but my dad remembers watching him play and always said he was a badass.

[gblowfish]

I predict people will send lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of flowers.
Sorry, my bad.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Fuck. Now I have another hole to fill in the Mock Draft.

[Baby Lee]

I predict people will send lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of flowers.
Sorry, my bad.

Can you suggest a service to deliver those?


For the longest time I was working on a horrible horrible joke/pun.

Something along the lines of 'what do you call an angry Merlin Olsen? . . . . A Florist Grump."

[Bane]

Just seen this on sportscenter.RIP Mr. Olsen.

[Rain Man]

Can anyone find the clip where Rosey Grier is singing and the other Fearsome Foursome guys are backups? Merlin kind of slayed me on those.

That clip confirms, though, that those were four enormous dudes, long before steroids were around.

[googlegoogle]

any vid of him playing?

[RedThat]

Can anyone find the clip where Rosey Grier is singing and the other Fearsome Foursome guys are backups? Merlin kind of slayed me on those.

That clip confirms, though, that those were four enormous dudes, long before steroids were around.

Steroids have been around before the 60's.

[Goldmember]

Can anyone find the clip where Rosey Grier is singing and the other Fearsome Foursome guys are backups? Merlin kind of slayed me on those.

That clip confirms, though, that those were four enormous dudes, long before steroids were around.

When I think of Rosie Grier, this comes to mind-

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[Rain Man]

Steroids have been around before the 60's.


I don't remember any word of them before Lyle Alzado. There were allegations of football use before the mid-70s?

[Goldmember]

any vid of him playing?

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-hall-of-fame/09000d5d816e2991/Merlin-Olsen-dies

[RedThat]

I don't remember any word of them before Lyle Alzado. There were allegations of football use before the mid-70s?

Well, we just didn't hear of them as much in the 50's and 60's. They started to become popular in the 70's and 80's when more and more professional athletes were using them to enhance their overall performance so they could compete at a higher level.

But yeah, they were used in the 50's. For sure. Bodybuilders like Steve Reeves and Bill Pearl must of used them.

[ClevelandBronco]

Wow. I must be getting old.

Which means I'm a damn sight better off than Mr. Olsen, I guess.

[Bwana]

That's to bad. He always seemed like a good dude.

[Over-Head]

He's up in that "little house above the prairie"

[Mr. Laz]

RIP

[chefsos]

It was always hard for me to reconcile how a guy as nice as Mr. Olsen could be that dominant as a DT in this league.

RIP

[Capricorn]

Damn good football player.

[rad]

He finally beat Dobler at something. j/k, sorry to hear about this.

LOL...."Gone but not forgiven"....


RIP Mr. Olsen

[cardken]

any vid of him playing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjVoIUhgH54

[BWillie]

Ron Burgundy is going to be crushed

[Dylan]

he died?

r.i.p.

[DaneMcCloud]

I don't remember any word of them before Lyle Alzado. There were allegations of football use before the mid-70s?

Oh yeah.

Dianabol was used in the 50's and 60's extensively. There's a great book by a former Raider that played in those days that details the steroid and drug use of the 60's.

The author kicked a 75 yard field goal in front of Al Davis while using mescaline.

And the guy wasn't even a kicker.

[redfan]

Definitely one of the good guys.
RIP

[PunkinDrublic]

Pick me up bouquets had to be one of the gayest endorsement deals ever for an athlete.

[Chief Chief]

Pick me up bouquets had to be one of the gayest endorsement deals ever for an athlete.


...with Joe Namath wearing pantyhose being another...

[Rain Man]

I remember my sister walking into the room one time and seeing Merlin Olsen as a football announcer. She said, "That's stupid. They're letting the Little House on the Prairie guy announce a football game? What does he know about football?"

[CosmicPal]

I remember my sister walking into the room one time and seeing Merlin Olsen as a football announcer. She said, "That's stupid. They're letting the Little House on the Prairie guy announce a football game? What does he know about football?"

Goodnight, Merlin.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

The NFL netword had a piece on him and he went to the probowl 14 out of the 15 years he ws in the league. They showed how he was the most kind person in the NFL. The opponents would talk trash to him but he would never respond. Just played his game. I don't remember him as a football player but when I was young we'd always watch "Little House on the Prairie".

We all gotta die sometime. He was awesome.

[DanT]

He had a important acting role in a touching Christmas movie from the mid '80s, the Juggler of Notre Dame:

http://www.amazon.com/Juggler-of-Notre-Dame/dp/B000BT02Z8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1268545034&sr=8-1

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Good guy.

Will his family get a discount on flowers for the funeral?

LMAO

[Maggot Brain]

RIP