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Merlin Olsen

Olsen Legacy



Olsen, who also gives motivational speeches to businesses and makes appearances on behalf of charities, has succeeded in many endeavors and has parlayed his affability into professional success.

Possibly his best attribute was his consistency. "Olsen played for five different head coaches during his days with the Rams," Holden wrote, "and though they had different styles and philosophies, those five men had one thing in common: Olsen never had a bad year, a bad game or a bad play." Ex-players recall how nurturing he was as a teammate. "If I hadn't had Merlin beside me those first three, four, or five years, I probably would not have turned out to be the football player that I did," former Rams linebacker Jack Young-blood said. Olsen presented Youngblood into the Hall of Fame in 2001.



Career Statistics

Yr Team FR INT TD
LAR:Los Angeles Rams.
1962 LAR 0 1 1
1963 LAR 0 0 0
1964 LAR 0 0 0
1965 LAR 1 0 0
1966 LAR 2 0 0
1967 LAR 1 0 0
1968 LAR 1 0 0
1969 LAR 0 0 0
1970 LAR 0 0 0
1971 LAR 0 0 0
1972 LAR 0 0 0
1973 LAR 0 0 0
1974 LAR 0 0 0
1975 LAR 1 0 0
1976 LAR 1 0 0
TOTAL 7 1 1

Awards and Accomplishments

1961 Wins Outland Trophy as best college football interior lineman as a senior at Utah State
1962 Selected National Football League Rookie of the Year
1970 Named to Rams' all-time team
1982 Enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame
1994 Named to NFL 75th Anniversary Team

Olsen, still a spokesman for FTD Florist, is a motivational speaker, working with some of the largest corporations in the United States. He lives in California. Utah State players in August 2002 received a surprise visit from Olsen, who gave a pep talk to the Aggies. "We talked about a couple of things that might help them individually to improve their performance during the year," said Olsen. Added linebacker Jesse Busta: "Anytime you have one of the best players to ever play here and in the NFL, it is inspirational."

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsFootballMerlin Olsen Biography - Outland Trophy Winner, "fearsome Foursome", Transition To Broadcasting, Acting, Chronology, Olsen Legacy