| Merlin Olsen | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): Defensive Tackle |
Jersey #(s): 74 |
| Born: September 15, 1940 Logan, Utah |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1962–1976 | |
| NFL Draft: 1962 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | |
| College: Utah State | |
| Professional Teams | |
| Career Stats | |
| Games | 208 |
| Sacks | 94 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
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|
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Merlin Jay Olsen (born September 15, 1940) is an American former National Football League player and actor. In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time Defensive tackle ( DT) is a position on the defensive line in American and Canadian football. In team Sports the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, or uniform number is the Number Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 42670 a substantial increase In an organised Sports league, a season is the portion of one Year in which regulated Games of the sport are in session The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd Regular season of the National Football League. The 1976 NFL season was the 57th Regular season of the National Football League. The NFL Draft is an annual Sports draft in which NFL teams select newly-eligible players for their rosters The 1962 National Football League Draft was held on December 4 1961 This is a List of Athletic Conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA Utah State University ( USU) is a public Land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan Utah. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd Regular season of the National Football League. The 1976 NFL season was the 57th Regular season of the National Football League. Sacks may refer to David O Sacks (21st century American film producer David Sacks (21st century television writer and producer In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the All-star game of the National Football League (NFL The 1971 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 24, 1971 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles California. The 1972 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 23, 1972 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles California. The 1973 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 21, 1973 at Texas Stadium in Irving Texas. The 1974 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 20, 1974 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City Missouri. The 1975 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 20, 1975 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida. The 1976 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 26, 1976 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans Louisiana. The National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team was chosen by a selection committee of media and league personnel in 1994. This is a list of all NFL players who have had outstanding performances throughout the 1970s and have been compiled onto this fantasy group The NFL 1960s All-Decade Team is a list of all NFL players who have had outstanding performances throughout the 1960s and have been compiled in a fantasy group The Bert Bell Award for the Professional American football Player of the Year is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the All-star game of the National Football League (NFL The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States College football Interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL The College Football Hall of Fame, located in South Bend Indiana, USA is a hall of fame and museum devoted to College football.
Contents |
College
Born to Lynn Jay and Merle Olsen in Logan, Utah, Olsen attended Utah State University. Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 42670 a substantial increase The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Utah State University ( USU) is a public Land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan Utah. He is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and was a three-year letterman in football as a defensive tackle. Sigma Chi ( ΣΧ) is one of the largest and oldest all-male college Greek-letter social fraternities and a Secret society. A letterman, in US Sports, Performing arts or Academics, is a High school or College student who has met a specified level of participation In football, as a senior, he was a consensus All-American selection (making the vast majority of All-America teams) and was the winner of the Outland Trophy. An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States College football Interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America After Olsen's junior year of 1960 he was also named All-American by the Football Writer's Association and NEA. He was also All-Conference in both 1960 and 1961 and an Academic All-America in 1961.
As a senior the Aggie defense Olsen anchored 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. [1] Additionally, the Aggie defense held four opponents to less than 100 total yards. One, the University of Idaho, was held to a school-record 23 total yards, with the Aggies winning 69-0. The University of Idaho is Idaho 's oldest public university located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County.
The Aggies, not known as a national power football program, finished 10th in both the AP and UPI post-season polls, the only time that has occurred in school history. The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I-A College football and Division I The Aggies had a combined 18-3-1 record during Olsen's junior and senior seasons under coach John Ralston and were conference champions those two seasons as well. John Ralston (born April 26, 1927) a graduate of the University of California, played Linebacker on two Cal Rose Bowl teams before
Olsen played in the East-West Shrine Game in 1961 and in 2003 was voted to the game's Hall of Fame[2]. The East-West Shrine Game is an annual post-season College football all-star game played each January since 1925 He also played in the Hula Bowl after his senior season and was voted MVP of the game[3]. The Hula Bowl is an independently administered post-season invitational College football game held each year in Hawaii, currently at Aloha Stadium
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 by Sports Illustrated as one of the State of Utah’s Top 50 Athletes of the Century. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. He was voted to the All-Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1988.
NFL
Olsen played professionally (from 1962 to 1976) for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. A leading defensive star of his era, he did not miss a single game in his 15-season NFL career. He was All-Pro in 1964, and 1966 through 1970. He was voted second team All-Pro in 1965, 1973 and 1974.
Coming out of college, Olsen had offers from both Los Angeles of the NFL and Denver of the rival AFL. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 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. The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd Regular season of the National Football League. He was the first USU Aggie to be drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft.
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. David D "Deacon" Jones (born December 9, 1938 in Eatonville, Florida) is a former American football Defensive end Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (born July 14, 1932 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American actor Christian minister Lamar J Lundy Jr ( April 17 1935 - February 24 2007) was an American Defensive end with the Los Angeles Rams The 1963 NFL season was the 44th Regular season of the National Football League. The "Fearsome Foursome" was a title first used in reporting American professional football when referring to the dominating defensive lines of the New York Giants, " He was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week for week 12, 1965. Olsen scored his first touchdown in that game.
Throughout the 1960s, this foursome terrorized opposing offenses. Olsen's play helped the Rams to the playoffs in 1967 and 1969. The 1967 NFL season was the 48th Regular season of the National Football League. The 1969 NFL season was the 50th Regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. He was voted the club's Outstanding Defensive Lineman from 1967-70 by the Los Angeles Rams Alumni. In week 14, 1967, Olsen and the rest of the Fearsome Foursome were named the AP NFL Defensive Players of the Week for their performance against the Baltimore Colts.
In the 1970s, Olsen continued his dominant play at defensive tackle and his 11 sacks in 1972 was second on the team. The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd Regular season of the National Football League. After week 8 in 1972 Olsen was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week for the third time in his career.
The Rams won the NFC West crown in 1973 through 1976 thanks in part to the solid play of Olsen. The 1973 NFL season was the 54th Regular season of the National Football League. The 1976 NFL season was the 57th Regular season of the National Football League. 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 the NFLPA NFC Defensive Lineman of the Year and the next season, 1974, he was voted the Bert Bell Award as the NFL MVP as voted by the Maxwell Club. The Bert Bell Award for the Professional American football Player of the Year is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. The Maxwell Football Club (originally called the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. 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 5 in sacking opposing quarterbacks and compiling a 22-5-1 record over those two seasons.
Olsen's last game was the NFC Championship game in 1976 at Bloomington, Minnesota. The NFC Championship Game is one of the two Semi-final matches of the National Football League the largest professional American football league in the United Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the US state of Minnesota in Hennepin County, and the third core city of the Minneapolis-St 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. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based out of Minneapolis Minnesota. 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, losing 24-13. 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. In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the All-star game of the National Football League (NFL He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of fame of the National Football League (NFL In 1999, he was ranked number 25 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports
After NFL retirement
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. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A color commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the Broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the Play-by-play Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg (born January 9, 1935) is an American Sportscaster. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The American Football Conference ( AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL
- See also: NFL on NBC
He also enjoyed success as an actor. The NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998 when NBC lost the NFL American When Little House on the Prairie actor Victor French left to star in his own comedy Carter Country in 1977, Olsen was tapped to play Michael Landon's new sidekick Johnathon Garvey. Little House on the Prairie is an American one-hour dramatic Television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11 1974 to Victor French ( December 4, 1934 - June 15, 1989) was an American actor and director Michael Landon ( October 31 1936 - July 1 1991) was an American Actor, writer director, and producer A couple years later, Landon cast Olsen as the masquerading priest Father Murphy. This article is about the television drama For the traditional Irish song see Come All You Warriors. He has been a commercial spokesman for FTD Florists. A television advertisement or television commercial (often just commercial or advert (US or ad (UK is a span of television programming produced FTD Group Inc (FTD also trading as Florists' Transworld Delivery, is a floral wire service, Retailer and Wholesaler based in Downers His most recent television acting work was in the short-lived 1988 TV series Aaron's Way, in which he played the lead role. The year 1988 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1988. Aaron's Way was a family drama series that ran in 1988 on American television starring Merlin Olsen as Aaron Miller the husband and father of an Olsen has often co-hosted the Children's Miracle Network telethons, a humanitarian organization founded in 1983 by Marie Osmond and John Schneider. Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959, in Ogden, Utah) is an American Actress, Singer, Doll He also appears in many Sigma Chi promotional campaigns; Olsen is a Life Loyal Sig, Significant Sig (given to members for distinguishing acts outside the fraternity) and a member of the Order of Constantine (given for service to the Fraternity).
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. Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Eldorado High School is a Public High school in Las Vegas Nevada, part of the Clark County School District. Chaparral High School is a public high school in Las Vegas Nevada of the Clark County School District. Each year, Olsen presents the "trophy" in the ceremony at the rivalry game.
He was named the Walter Camp Man of the Year in 1982. The Walter Camp Man of the Year is one of seven awards given annually by the Walter Camp foundation
Notes
- Olsen acted in the movie The Undefeated opposite John Wayne and Rock Hudson in 1969. The Undefeated is a 1969 Western movie starring John Wayne and Rock Hudson. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American Rock Hudson (November 17 1925 &ndash October 2 1985 was an American Film and Television Actor, recognised as a romantic leading man during The year 1969 in film involved some significant events Events Cannes Film Festival opens but closes in support
- Had two brothers, Phil Olsen and Orrin Olsen, play in the NFL while he was still active. Phillip Vernor Olsen (born April 26, 1948) is a former center and Defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Los
- 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. Anchorman The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a Comedy film which was released on July 9, 2004. John William "Will" Ferrell (ˈfærəl born July 16, 1967) is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice actor,
- Olsen was mentioned in a commercial for the National Association for the Self Employed (NASE) on the Free Speech Radio Network in 2007.
See also
References
- ^ Utah State University Media Guide
- ^ The East West Shrine Game | Hall of Fame
- ^ Hula Bowl | History
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame page
- Merlin Olsen at the Internet Movie Database
- Merlin Olsen's football cards
| Preceded by Roman Gabriel |
Rams Most Valuable Player Award 1970 |
Succeeded by Marlin McKeever |
| Preceded by Marlin McKeever |
Rams Most Valuable Player Award 1972 |
Succeeded by John Hadl |
| Preceded by Tom Brown |
Outland Trophy Winners 1961 |
Succeeded by Bobby Bell |