 Olsen onLittle House on the Prairie, 1977 | |||||||||||
| No. 74 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1940-09-15)September 15, 1940 Logan, Utah, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | March 11, 2010(2010-03-11) (aged 69) Duarte, California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Logan (Logan, Utah) | ||||||||||
| College | Utah State (1959–1961) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1962: 1st round, 3rd overall pick | ||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1962: 1st round, 2nd overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Merlin Jay Olsen (/ˈoʊlsən/; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010)[1] was an American professionalfootball player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career, he was adefensive tackle with theLos Angeles Rams in theNational Football League (NFL). He was selected to play in thePro Bowl 14 times — every year but his last. The only other football players to have matched or exceeded that number areBruce Matthews,Tony Gonzalez,Peyton Manning, andTom Brady, who is the only NFL player to have played more times in the Pro Bowl, with 15 selections.
In 1961, Olsen received theOutland Trophy, awarded to as the best lineman of the year in college football. He is a member of thePro Football Hall of Fame and theCollege Football Hall of Fame. As an actor, he portrayed farmer Jonathan Garvey onLittle House on the Prairie. After leaving that series, he starred in his ownNBC drama,Father Murphy.
Merlin Olsen was born inLogan, Utah, where his parents, Merle Barrus and Lynn Jay Olsen, graduated fromUtah State University (USU) and began their careers. His father was a professor at the university while his mother had graduated in elementary education. Merlin was the second of nine siblings and the first-born son. The family opened their home to host, feed, sleep, or tutor anyone in the neighborhood.
Merlin pursued athletics in high school but was cut from the basketball team while in grade 9, told by the coach that athletics wasn't for him and that he should take up the arts. Later, Olsen turned down a football scholarship to Stanford University to play for USU. Classmate Ross Peterson described him as a "natural, big, strong leader ... he could have been successful at anything".[2] His brothersPhil andOrrin also played football in the NFL; Merlin and Phil playing together for theLos Angeles Rams from 1971 to 1974.
Olsen attendedUtah State University, where he became a member of theSigma Chi fraternity, and was a three-yearletterman infootball as adefensive tackle. He graduated from theCollege of Business and Social Sciences at USU with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1962 and a master's degree in economics in 1971.[3] He later received an honorary doctorate degree in business from the Huntsman School.[3]
In football, as a senior, he was a consensusAll-America selection and was the winner of theOutland Trophy. After Olsen's junior year in 1960, he was also named All-American by theFootball Writers Association of America andNewspaper Enterprise Association. He was also All-Conference in both 1960 and 1961. Olsen and Utah State were in the 1960 Sun Bowl, losing toNew Mexico State, 20–13. Led by Olsen, the Aggie defense held the New Mexico State Aggies to just 44 rushing yards on 32 carries.[4]
The Aggie defense Olsen anchored as a senior gave up an average of 50.8 rushing yards (which led the nation), 88.6 passing yards, and 139.4 total yards which all still stand as school records for defense. The 1961 Aggie defense gave up an average 7.8 points a game, which is second in team history behind Olsen's 1960 team, which allowed 6.5 points per game.[5] Additionally, the Aggie defense held four opponents to less than 100 total yards. One, theIdaho Vandals, was held to a school-record 23 total yards, with the Aggies winning 69–0.
The Aggies, not known as a national power football program, finished 10th in both theAP andUPI post-season polls, the only time that has occurred in school history. The Aggies had a combined 18–3–1 record during Olsen's junior and senior seasons under coachJohn Ralston and were conference champions those two seasons as well.[6]
The Sigma Chi fraternity, has an annual Merlin Olsen Day of Service named in his honor, where brothers are encouraged to give back to their communities.
Olsen played in theEast-West Shrine Game in 1961 and in 2003 was voted to the game's Hall of Fame.[7] He also played in theHula Bowl after his senior season and was voted MVP of the game.[8]
Olsen is a member of the State of Utah's Sports Hall of Fame, the Utah State University Sports Hall of Fame and USU's All-Century Football Team. In 2000, he was selected bySports Illustrated as one of the State of Utah's Top 50 Athletes of the Century. He was voted to the All-Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1969, he was voted to theNewspaper Enterprise Association All-Time All-America team with collegiate greats such asBronko Nagurski,Red Grange,Jim Thorpe, andO. J. Simpson, among others.[9]
In 2008, Olsen was named to the 75th Anniversary All-Sun Bowl Team to commemorate the Sun Bowl Association's Diamond Anniversary.[10]
Utah State University announced the intention to name its football field after Olsen during a ceremony in Logan during halftime of the USU-St. Mary's basketball game on December 5, 2009.[11]
Olsen was also a three-time academic All-American at Utah State and graduatedsumma cum laude in 1962 with a degree in finance.[5]
After college, Olsen had offers from both theLos Angeles Rams of theNational Football League (NFL) and theDenver Broncos of the rivalAmerican Football League (AFL). He chose the security of the NFL and signed with the Rams. Olsen's first contract was for around $50,000 for two years, plus a signing bonus. It was1962, and the average football player salary at the time was around $12,000 a year. He was the first USU Aggie to be drafted in the 1st round of theNFL draft.[5]
Olsen played professionally for the Rams from1962 to1976. A leading defensive star of his era, he missed only two games in his 15-season NFL career. He was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was First-teamAll-Pro in 1964, and 1966 through 1970. He was voted Second-team All-Pro in 1965, 1973 and 1974.[12]
Olsen almost ended up onoffense, but was later moved to thedefensive 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, andLamar Lundy joined Olsen on the defensive line in1963 that was nicknamed "TheFearsome Foursome".[12] He was named theAP NFL Defensive Player of the Week for week 12 in 1965. Olsen scored his first touchdown in that game. Though Jones was the face of the Fearsome Foursome, it was Olsen who did much of the heavy lifting. Jones would often be double or tripled teamed by offensive linemen, thus leaving Olsen one on one or with a clear path to the ball carrier.
Throughout the 1960s, this quartet terrorized opposing offenses. Olsen's play helped the Rams to the playoffs in1967 and1969. He was voted the club's Outstanding Defensive Lineman from 1967 to 1970 by the Los Angeles Rams Alumni. In week 14 of the 1967 season, Olsen and the rest of the Fearsome Foursome were named the AP NFL Defensive Players of the Week for their performance against theBaltimore Colts. In the 1970s, Olsen continued his dominant play at defensive tackle and his 11sacks in1972 were second on the team. After week 8 in 1972, Olsen was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week for the third time in his career.[12]
The Rams won theNFC West crown in1973 through1976 thanks in part to the play of Olsen. They ranked first in the NFL in run defense in 1973 and 1974 and finished second in sacking opposing passers both years. In 1973, Olsen was voted theNFLPA NFC Defensive Lineman of the Year and the next season, 1974, he was the recipient ofBert Bell Award as the NFL MVP as voted by theMaxwell Football Club. Olsen accepted the award "on behalf of all who toil in the NFL trenches". In 1975 and 1976, the Rams defense finished second in the NFL against the run while ranking in the top five in sacking opposing quarterbacks and compiling a 22-5-1 record over those two seasons.
Olsen's last game was theNFC Championship game in1976 atBloomington, Minnesota. TheVikings took advantage on a freak play early in the game. A blockedfield goal returned 90 yards for atouchdown 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, losing 24–13, bringing the storied career of the Rams' finest defensive tackle to an end.
Olsen made thePro Bowl a then-record 14 times, missing it only in his final year. He was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 in his first year of eligibility; he selected his college position coachTony Knap as his presenter.[13] In1999, Olsen was ranked 25th onThe Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.[14]
Olsen enjoyed continued success after the NFL as a broadcaster, actor, and businessman.[15]
Olsen served as atelevisioncolor commentator, teaming mostly withDick Enberg onNBC's coverage of theAFC during the late 1970s and almost all of the 1980s. He and Enberg also teamed for fourSuper Bowls (XV,XVII,XX andXXIII), as well as nineRose Bowls from1980 to1988. Olsen also workedSuper Bowl XIII in 1979 withCurt Gowdy andJohn Brodie (Enberg was then serving as pre-game/halftime/post-game host). In1989, Olsen was replaced by[16]Bill Walsh as NBC's lead NFL color commentator. For the 1989 season, Olsen worked withCharlie Jones on NBC's broadcasts. In1990 and1991, he moved toCBS Sports doing NFL games withDick Stockton.
Olsen developed a successful career as an actor. He appeared as the character Little George in theJohn Wayne movie,The Undefeated, with Rams teammateRoman Gabriel, in 1969.
In 1970, he appeared once onPetticoat Junction, playing mountaineer Merlin Fergus in the episode "With This Ring".
WhenLittle House on the Prairie actorVictor French left to star in his own comedyCarter Country in 1977, Olsen was tapped to playMichael Landon's new sidekick Jonathan Garvey for several years. One memorable quote from his character's son Andy Garvey, "My pa doesn't know anything about football!" came when Andy's friends suggested that Jonathan coach their football team.
Olsen played the starring role of John Michael Murphy in the 1981–83NBC television drama seriesFather Murphy.
In theHighway to Heaven episode 2.12 ("The Good Doctor"), the main character, Alex, tells Mark Gordon (Victor French) that "All I could see was the flowers and the beard. I thought you were Merlin Olsen." This is an inside joke since Olsen, Landon, and French were in the TV seriesLittle House on the Prairie earlier in their careers.
Olsen's last acting work was in the short-lived1988 TV seriesAaron's Way.
Olsen was also thecommercial spokesman forFTD Florists for many years. A part-time resident of theCoachella Valley, Olsen was the longtime radio and television spokesman forPalm Desert-based El Paseo Bank.[17]
Olsen also appeared in manySigma Chi fraternity promotional campaigns; he and his brother Phil were Life Loyal Sigs, Significant Sigs (given to members for distinguishing acts outside the fraternity), and members of the Order of Constantine (given for service to the Fraternity). Olsen donated one of his cleats, which werebronzed, to be used during the annual football rivalry between twoLas Vegas high schools,Eldorado High School andChaparral High School, which both opened in 1973.[18] Each year, Olsen presented the "trophy" in the ceremony at the rivalry game.[citation needed]
Olsen often co-hosted theChildren's Miracle Networktelethons, a humanitarian organization founded in 1983 byMarie Osmond andJohn Schneider.
He was named theWalter Camp Man of the Year in 1982 and Athlete of the Century for the state of Utah. During halftime of a basketball game betweenUtah State, Olsen's alma mater, andSaint Mary's on December 5, 2009, Utah State University announced that the playing surface insideRomney Stadium, home stadium forthe university's football program, would be named Merlin Olsen Field in Olsen's honor. Because of Olsen's illness, Utah State decided not to wait until the 2010 football season to hold the ceremony; he was able to attend the game, but did not speak.[19] A sculpture of Olsen was unveiled in a plaza south of the stadium during an official dedication ceremony in Fall 2010.[20]
In 1979, Olsen was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.[21] In 1980, Olsen was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame.[22] In 1998, Olsen was inducted into the Utah Tourism Hall of Fame.[23] Olsen was voted to theCalifornia Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2010, along withBill Walton,Dwight Stones, andJim Otto, among others.[24]
In 1983, Olsen served as Grand Marshal of theRose Parade.
On March 30, 1962, Olsen married Susan Wakley, a fellow USU student. They had three children: Kelly, Jill, and Nathan. Olsen was a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a resident of San Marino, California.[25] His nephew Hans, son of his brother Clark, also played in the NFL with theIndianapolis Colts.[26]
Olsen was diagnosed withperitoneal mesothelioma in 2009,[27] and underwent three courses ofchemotherapy. In December 2009, he filed a lawsuit against 25 defendants including NBC Studios, NBC Universal, 20th Century Fox, Georgia Pacific, Sherwin-Williams, and Lennox Corp. for allegedly exposing him to theasbestos which he claimed had caused his cancer.[28][29]
Olsen died on March 11, 2010, atCity of Hope National Medical Center inDuarte, California, at age 69.[30][19][31] Olsen is buried at San Gabriel Cemetery in San Gabriel, California.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Undefeated | Little George | |
| 1971 | One More Train to Rob | Eli Jones | |
| Something Big | Sgt. Fitzsimmons | ||
| 1975 | Mitchell | Benton |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Petticoat Junction | Merlin Fergus | Episode: "With This Ring" |
| 1973 | Kung Fu | Perlee Skowrin | Episode: "Nine Lives" |
| 1974 | Dr. Simon Locke | The Cat | Episode: "The Killer" |
| 1977–1981 | Little House on the Prairie | Jonathan Garvey | 51 episodes |
| 1978 | A Fire in the Sky | Stan Webster | Television film |
| 1980 | The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story | Todd Simms | Television film |
| 1981 | Walking Tall | Webb McClain | Episode: "Hitman" |
| 1981–1983 | Father Murphy | John Michael Murphy | 34 episodes |
| 1982 | The Juggler of Notre Dame | Jonas | Television film |
| 1984 | Time Bomb | Jake Calahan | Television film |
| 1986 | Fathers and Sons | Buddy Landau | 4 episodes |
| 1988 | Aaron's Way | Aaron Miller | 14 episodes, (final appearance) |
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
| Preceded by | NFL on NBC lead analyst (withJohn Brodie in1978) 1978–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Super Bowl television color commentator (AFC package carrier) 1978-1988 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
