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Pro Football Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen dies at 69
ST. LOUIS -- Merlin Olsen, who played for the St. Louis Rams for 15 seasons from 1962-76 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982, died early Thursday morning at the age of 69.
Olsen, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009, filed a lawsuit in December against numerous companies, including NBC, who he alleged exposed him negligently to asbestos.
Olsen was a defensive tackle and beginning with his second season with the Rams was selected to the Pro Bowl for the final 14 seasons of his career. He was as member of the Rams' aptly named "Fearsome Foursome," which also included Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy.
After his NFL career, Olsen was an analyst on NFL games on NBC and also acted in the TV shows "Father Murphy" and "Little House on the Prairie," among others.
In December, he was honored by the Rams at halftime of the team's game against the Houston Texans. Because of his illness, he was represented by his brother Phil and son Nathan.
At the time, Rams co-owner Chip Rosenbloom said, "Merlin is one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL and more importantly one of the greatest people in 20th-century sports. The entire Rams organization wishes that Merlin could be with us on Sunday, but we look forward to welcoming his family and teammates as we celebrate a wonderful human being and his many accomplishments both on and off the field."
Howard Balzer is a Senior NFL Writer for The Sports Xchange.
ST. LOUIS -- Merlin Olsen, who played for the St. Louis Rams for 15 seasons from 1962-76 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982, died early Thursday morning at the age of 69.
Olsen, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009, filed a lawsuit in December against numerous companies, including NBC, who he alleged exposed him negligently to asbestos.
Olsen was a defensive tackle and beginning with his second season with the Rams was selected to the Pro Bowl for the final 14 seasons of his career. He was as member of the Rams' aptly named "Fearsome Foursome," which also included Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy.
After his NFL career, Olsen was an analyst on NFL games on NBC and also acted in the TV shows "Father Murphy" and "Little House on the Prairie," among others.
In December, he was honored by the Rams at halftime of the team's game against the Houston Texans. Because of his illness, he was represented by his brother Phil and son Nathan.
At the time, Rams co-owner Chip Rosenbloom said, "Merlin is one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL and more importantly one of the greatest people in 20th-century sports. The entire Rams organization wishes that Merlin could be with us on Sunday, but we look forward to welcoming his family and teammates as we celebrate a wonderful human being and his many accomplishments both on and off the field."
Howard Balzer is a Senior NFL Writer for The Sports Xchange.
