Merlin Olsen
[edit] Biography
Merlin Jay Olsen (born September 15, 1940, Logan, Utah) is a former National Football League player who played professionally (from 1962 to 1976) for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. The leading defensive star of his era, Olsen did not miss a single game in his 15-season NFL career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
[edit] College Years
Olsen attended Utah State University and was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa and was a letterman in football as a defensive tackle. In football, as a senior, he was an All-American selection and was the winner of the Outland Trophy.
[edit] Post- National Football League Years
Following his retirement as a player, Olsen went to television as a color commentator, teaming with Dick Enberg on NBC's coverage of the AFC throughout the 1980s. He also enjoyed success as an actor (most notably as a regular on the series Little House on the Prairie), and as a commercial spokesman for FTD Florists.
Olsen donated one of his cleats, which was bronzed, to be used during the annual football rivalry between two Las Vegas high schools, Eldorado High School and Chaparral High School, which both opened in 1973. Each year, Olsen presents the "trophy" in the ceremony at the rivalry game.
[edit] Scouting Report
[edit] Statistics
[edit] Interception Stats
| 1962
| LAM
| NFL
| 12
| 1
| 20
| 20t
| 1
|
| 1963
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1964
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1965
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1966
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1967
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1968
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1969
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1970
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1971
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1972
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1973
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1974
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1975
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1976
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 15 year NFL career
| 208
| 1
| 20
| 0
| 1
|
[edit] Kick Return Stats
| 1962
| LAM
| NFL
| 12
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1963
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1964
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1965
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1966
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1967
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1968
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1969
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1970
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1971
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1972
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1973
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1974
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1975
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1976
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 15 year NFL career
| 208
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
[edit] Fumble Recovery Stats
| 1962
| LAM
| NFL
| 12
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 0
| 0
|
| 1963
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1964
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1965
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 59
| 0
|
| 1966
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 1
| 0
| 2
| 9
| 0
|
| 1967
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
|
| 1968
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
|
| 1969
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1970
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1971
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1972
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1973
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1974
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
|
| 1975
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
|
| 1976
| LAM
| NFL
| 14
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 0
|
| 15 year NFL career
| 208
| 2
| 0
| 9
| 68
| 0
|
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[edit] See Also
[edit] Awards
- Won the Pro Bowl MVP in 1968
- Won the Bert Bell MVP Trophy (Maxwell Club) in 1974
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