Hall of Famer Olsen dead at 69
Published: March 11th, 2010 | Tags: Los Angeles Rams, Merlin Olsen, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Merlin Olsen, legendary Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has died. He was 69.
Olsen was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009 and had been undergoing chemotherapy.
Olsen, who played for the Rams from 1962-76, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. A member of the Rams’ legendary “Fearsome Foursome,” Olsen was selected to 14 consecutive Pro Bowls (tied with Bruce Matthews for the most times in NFL history), was a member of the NFL’s all-decade teams for the 1960s and 1970s, and was named to the NFL’s 75th anniversary all-time team, as chosen by a committee of media and league personnel in 1994.