Merlin Olsen
| Merlin Olsen | |
|---|---|
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Position (s): Defensive tackle |
Jersey number (s): 74 |
| born September 15, 1940 in Logan , Utah | |
| died on March 11, 2010 in Los Angeles , California | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1962 - 1976 | |
| NFL Draft : 1962 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | |
| College : Utah State | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Games | 208 |
| Sacks | 94 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.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 in Logan , Utah , † March 11, 2010 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American American football player and actor .
Olsen was voted Sportsman of the Year at the age of 21 and was the leading figure of the Los Angeles Rams at the time. For fifteen years (1962-1976) he played in the National Football League (NFL). With 14 appearances in the Pro Bowl , he holds the record together with Bruce Matthews . Olsen is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame , the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and received the 1974 Bert Bell Award . The Sporting News magazine named him one of the top 100 football players of all time.
However, director Andrew V. McLaglen prophesied Olsen a successful acting career and gave him a role in the film The Undefeated (1969). Olsen starred in it alongside movie stars like John Wayne and Rock Hudson . By 1975 he had three other roles on television; he took his last film role in 1975 in McLaglens Mitchell .
At the age of 36, Olsen ended his football career and was soon hired by NBC as a sports presenter and actor on the US broadcaster's series. While working on television, he met Michael Landon , who hired him for his series " Our Little Farm " and " Father Murphy " know. His last, but not very successful, television appearances were in "Fathers and Sons" and "Aaron's Way". Most recently he got involved with his wife Susan for charitable purposes and took on duties as a showmaster.
Merlin Olsen was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009 , a type of cancer caused by asbestos. In December 2009, he filed a lawsuit against NBC Studios, NBC Universal and 20th Century Fox for alleged culpability for the cancer he reportedly contracted while watching a movie. On March 11, 2010, Merlin Olsen died at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. He is buried in the San Gabriel Cemetery in San Gabriel .
Web links
- Merlin Olsen in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Merlin Olsen in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Merlin Olsen in the College Hall of Fame
Individual evidence
- ↑ Merlin Olsen at number 25 on the list ( memento of the original from December 9, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Tomb of Merlin Olsen
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Olsen, Merlin |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Olsen, Merlin Jay (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 15, 1940 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Logan , Utah , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 11, 2010 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles , California , United States |