AP: Pro Football Hall of Famer and former television actor Merlin Olsen has died. He was 69.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and former television actor Merlin Olsen has died. He was 69.

Utah State, Olsen’s alma mater, said he died outside of Los Angeles early Thursday after battling cancer. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining, last year. …

Olsen was an All-American at Utah State and a first-round draft pick of the Los Angles Rams in 1962. (read more below)

4 thoughts on “Actor, football player Merlin Olsen dead”

  1. i remember watching merlin olsen. obviously one of the nfl’s greats.

    i remember an nfl special where the “dirtiest player in pro ball” was identified as conrad dobler. i recall watching this back in the eighties.

    dobler was a center for the st. louis cardinals. several player interviewed on the topic stated dobler would do anything. bite, spit, gouge, nothing was out-of-bounds with conrad.

    he denied nothing. highlighted was olsen’s hatred of dobler. olsen hated dobler so much he never spoke to him for years after their playing days were over and actually had dobler’s name on a headstone in one of the episodes of ‘father murphy’.

    dobler said olsen didn’t hate him for any physical transgression but because he beat him between the ears. dobler took olsen out of the team game plan and made it a personal, one-on-one battle. dobler said once he’d done that, he’d beaten olsen. and olsen hated him for it.

    it was a very colorful time for the league. too many of these guys are suffering now with no help from the nfl.

    earl campbell was a full grown man. 34″ thighs. he’s now a cripple. dobler’s had a reported NINE knee replacements. we all know about lyle alzado.

    merlin olsen died way too young. way too young.

    rip.

  2. It was very hard not to like Merlin Olsen.
    He was like the terrific next door eighbor that everyone wishes they had.
    RIP.

Comments are closed.