Hall of Famer, ‘Little House’ star Merlin Olsen dies

Source: MSNBC

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

Utah State University assistant athletic media relations director Zach Fisher says Olsen died Wednesday night.

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

He was part of the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line, which set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season in 1968.

Olsen is still the Rams’ all-time leader in career tackles with 915.


Read more: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35817296/ns/sports-nfl/

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Great player, and seemed like a very decent man. RIP Merlin Olsen

He wasn't Mr. Edwards...wasn't Mr. Olsen...wasn't the minister...damn.

"Please, don't let this feeling end..."

C'mon, he was famous.

just fyi...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071007/fullcredits#cast

After Victor French left the show he became Mr. Ingall's new friend.

I do remember Victor French, but Merlin Olsen hardly at all. Oh well, RIP, big guy.

His wife died in a fire at the Blind School when she went back to save the baby.

trying to break out of a window.

He was also in the original episode/movie I believe.

May he rest in peace.

Another episode that left an impression on me is the one where he finds out that Mrs. Garvey had a sexual relationship with a man before he married her. He goes completely apeshit about this, treats Mrs. Garvey like shit, and goes out in search of the man to give him an ass-whoopin' or something.

Garvey finds the guy and is somewhat horrified to see that he's now a miserable, broken-down, lonely alcoholic. He realizes what he has with Mrs. Garvey, sees that he's being a huge asshole, and returns home to issue a sincere heartfelt apology and a promise never to take his wife for granted again.

He wasn't the best actor in the world, but he was earnest. He was also an effective, non-obnoxious football color commentator for NBC back in the '80s. He seemed like a good, decent guy, and I will miss him.

Isn't that the cancer resulting from asbestos exposure?

From Wikipedia

"...Olsen was a passionate fisherman, and enjoyed fly fishing the most. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009 and underwent three courses of chemotherapy. In January 2010 he filed a lawsuit against NBC Studios, NBC Universal, and 20th Century Fox for exposing him to asbestos..."

Merlin Olson's face was the last I saw before I learned about the 9/11 attacks. I was doing contract work at the time, at home, and it was my policy to eat breakfast at the same hour the attacks happened to occur. I watched a spot of TV as I was eating my breakfast, had it on TBS watching Little House on the Prairie. When TBS broke in to go to national coverage of the events unfolding, the last scene I saw (remember it quite vividly) has Merlin Olson in it. Strange thing to associate with Merlin Olson, but I suppose a mind shocked with something ugly like those attacks works strangely.

There were so many great teams, so many phenomenal players. And so many of them were very decent humans, as well. Sandy Kaufax. Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar). Deacon Jones. John Wooden.

With all the negativity swirling around sports in recent years, all the thugs and criminals who seem to play ball these days, it's easy to imagine that the greats from that era just weren't scrutinized as well as players are today. But no, when you look back at their life's work in the decades since, you see that so many of them were, in fact, just as decent and caring as they seemed in their heyday, and for some even more so. Merlin Olsen certainly fits in that category. I missed him when he left football. I think I'll miss him more now that he's gone from our world.

so many teams...lakers, rams, angels, dodgers. i was a fan of them all (still a lakers fan too).

How strange. A real decent guy, and a truly great football player.

a show about a boxer and Olson as Jonathan Garvey is in it.

He was larger than life, physically and in reputation.

Mitchell- MST3K

:toast:

One of the best episodes ever!

Back in the 60's the fearsome foursome was the best thing in L.A. sports, other then Sandy Koufax.

:D

I'm sure that's going to work toward his heavenly reward!

"The new Chrysler Fury. The car that thinks it's a house! "