Merlin Olsen Dead At 69

[Mergie Master]

Death of Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen saddens Fearsome mates

When he received word Thursday morning that close friend and former teammate Merlin Olsen had succumbed to cancer, Rosey Grier cried. He had planned to visit Olsen at a Los Angeles area hospital Wednesday but was told by Olsen's brother, Phil, that it probably would be better if he waited until Friday.

"So Phil put the phone to his ear and we were able to talk," Grier said by telephone Thursday. "He sounded sick but the thing was, he still sounded like Merlin."

Grier paused to collect himself before continuing.

"I loved that man," he said. "I really loved him."

Olsen, who was 69, died from complications related to malignant mesothelioma, which erodes the protective lining around the lungs. He was diagnosed last year.

Along with Grier, Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy, Olsen was part of the Los Angeles Rams' famous Fearsome Foursome in the 1960s, a unit widely considered one of the best defensive fronts in NFL history. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 and was selected to play in 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, a string that began his rookie season of 1962.

Following his retirement, Olsen had a successful career as a football color commentator for NBC and also a television actor. He co-starred alongside Michael Landon on the series Little House on the Prairie and later was star of his own show, Father Murphy.

He also was heavily involved in charitable causes, including hosting telethons to benefit children.

"Merlin was always doing good work to help other people have a meaningful life," said Grier, who was told of Olsen's death by Elizabeth Jones, Deacon's wife. "He was always there for you, no matter what."

Gil Brandt, the Dallas Cowboys' player personnel director during Olsen's NFL career, said Thursday there has never been a better defensive tackle to play the game.

"We played them a lot but we also scrimmaged them a lot, and Merlin never took a play off, no matter what kind of game it was," Brandt said. "He obviously was one of the greatest players of all time. You can look at it like this — when he played in the 60s and 70s, he was on a par with the present-day player as far as speed, strength and skill."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that Olsen "was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy."

Olsen was a consensus all-American his senior season at Utah State, and was a first-round draft pick, third overall, by the Rams.

In December, Utah State announced the field at Romney Stadium would be named 'Merlin Olsen field.'

Two members of the Fearsome Foursome remain alive. Lundy died in 2007 after a series of health problems.

[300WINMAG]

RIP. A class act indeed.