Merlin Olsen
When Rosey Grier, heard that his former teammate and close friend, Merlin Olsen had lost his fight with cancer, he cried.
Grier had planned to visit Olsen in hospital in Los Angeles, but Olsen’s brother Phil, had told him it would probably be best to wait until Friday. Grier said, “So Phil put the phone to his ear and we were able to talk,” “He sounded sick but the thing was, he still sounded like Merlin.”
Grier than added, ”I loved that man,” he added. “I really loved him,” while holding back tears.
Olsen died of complications relating to malignant Mesothelioma aged 69, the disease in which he was diagnosed with only last year, erodes the protective lining surrounding the lungs.
As part of the Los Angeles Rams’ Fearsome Foursome in the 1960′s, along with Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy, Grier and Olsen were part of a unit considered to be one of the best defensive fronts in NFL history.
Later in 1982, he was elected to the Pro Ball Hall of Fame and was also selected to play in 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, which began his rookie season in 1962.
After retirement, Olsen started a successful career as an actor in the iconic television show “Little House on the Prairie,” starring Michael Landon, and also as a football commentator. He also later starred in his own show, as “Father Murphy.”
Grier spoke about Olsen’s charitable causes, ”Merlin was always doing good work to help other people have a meaningful life,” ”He was always there for you, no matter what.”
Gil Brandt, a former personnel director for the Dallas Cowboy’s said with Olsen, there had 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 added. “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.”
The Romney Stadium, it was announced back in December by Utah State, would be renamed Merlin Olsen field.