Merlin Olsen dies at 69; was NFL Hall of Famer

SALT LAKE CITY - Merlin Olsen, 69, a Hall of Famer who helped form one of the NFL's greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died yesterday after a battle with cancer.

Mr. Olsen was a member of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" along with Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy, and Rosey Grier in the 1960s. He later starred on NFL broadcasts, in commercials, and as Jonathan Garvey on the TV series Little House on the Prairie.

"He was ferocious and fearless on the football field, and then the other probably more important aspect of his personality was he was a true gentleman," said fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood, his teammate with the Rams.

"We all know what a wonderful, tremendous football player he was, but he was so much more than that," Youngblood said.

Utah State, Mr. Olsen's alma mater, said he died outside Los Angeles. His condition, mesothelioma, a cancer frequently found in the lung lining and often linked to asbestos, was diagnosed last year.

Mr. Olsen filed a lawsuit last year, contending that he contracted the disease as a result of being exposed to asbestos on construction sites where he worked as a child and young adult.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called him an "extraordinary person, friend, and football player."

"He cared deeply about people, especially those that shared the game of football with him," Goodell said. "Merlin was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy."

Mr. 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 him third overall in 1962, and he spent the next 15 years with the team.

Mr. Olsen was picked for 14 straight Pro Bowls, a string that began with his rookie year, and is still the franchise's career leader in tackles with 915.

The storied "Fearsome Foursome" was known for either stopping or knocking backward whatever offenses it faced. The Rams set an NFL record for fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season in 1968.

Youngblood joined the Rams as a rookie in 1971, backing up Jones as Mr. Olsen continued to anchor the other side of the line. Youngblood remembered Mr. Olsen's telling him as a young player to push to be great not just on every play, but with "every heartbeat."

Former offensive lineman Jerry Kramer of the Green Bay Packers, in his 1968 book Instant Replay, remembered dreading Mr. Olsen.

"I'll be facing Merlin Olsen, and that's definitely work, not fun," Kramer wrote. "Merlin never lets up. He'll run right over you no matter what the score is."

Mr. Olsen was voted the NFC's defensive lineman of the year in 1973 and the NFL's most valuable player in 1974, and was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

"Merlin Olsen is one of the best players in the history of the NFL," Rams general manager Billy Devaney said. "His passing is a tremendous loss for the Rams. He will always be remembered as an ambassador for the organization as well as the National Football League."

Mr. Olsen made a few television cameos during his football career and turned to acting full time after he retired in 1976.

He is best remembered for his role alongside Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert on Little House on the Prairie from 1977 to '81, and for the short-lived Father Murphy.

He also stayed in the game as a broadcaster. Mr. Olsen wasn't just some former player who knew football and would weave tales of his playing days into the broadcast. He was well-spoken and smart.

The son of a former schoolteacher, Mr. Olsen graduated summa cum laude from Utah State with a degree in economics and earned a master's in economics in between his 15 NFL seasons.

"Merlin was a valued and cherished member of the NBC family in the 1970s and '80s," NBC Sports president Ken Schanzer said. "He loomed as large in the broadcast booth as on the football field. Merlin brought both his knowledge of the game and his humanity to bear on his work."

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

Mr. Olsen was well enough to attend, but did not speak at the event.

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

"This was the voice of a man who not only became one of our country's most decorated athletes, but also one of the most accomplished and respected people ever to hail from the state of Utah," said Stan Albrecht, president of Utah State.

The Rams honored Mr. Olsen during their game Dec. 20 with a video tribute narrated by Dick Enberg, his longtime broadcast partner.

Mr. Olsen did not attend because of his health.

Mr. Olsen is survived by his wife, Susan, and three children. Funeral arrangements were pending.