Dubbed by Utah State as the greatest athlete in school history, Merlin Olsen achieved nothing but the highest levels of success in all aspects of his life.
A defensive tackle under College Hall of Fame coach John Ralston, he earned a reputation as a “bruising,” and “hard-hitting” player. A tri-captain of the Aggies, he was an All-Conference and All-America selection in both 1960 and 1961. His senior season, Olsen, at 6’5’’ and 265 pounds, led an Aggies defense that gave up a nation-leading average of only 50.8 rushing yards. The same defense allowed an average of 88.6 passing yards and 139.4 total yards, stats that still stand as Utah State records. That year, the Aggies finished No. 10 in the AP and UPI postseason polls for the only time in school history.
In 1961, Olsen won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. He left a lasting legacy in Utah with accolades that includes spots in the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, USU Sports Hall of Fame and USU All-Century Football Team. In 1969 he was announced by the Newspaper Enterprise Association as a member of its All-Time All-America Team. Olsen was the first NFF National Scholar-Athlete to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
Olsen was not just a great football player; he was a phenomenal student as well. The All-American tackle was the president of the Honor Society, and he was given the Army’s award as the top military science student in college. He graduated summa cum laude with a 3.67 GPA and a bachelor’s in finance in 1962. During his undergraduate career, Olsen was a three-time Academic All-American, and he was named to the All-Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1971, Olsen returned to Utah State for his master’s in economics, and he was later given an honorary doctorate degree by the university.
Olsen was the first Utah State player to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams, where he would remain for the entirety of his 15-season career. Playing tackle, he was one-fourth of the Rams’ defensive line nicknamed the “fearsome foursome.” In 1973, he was voted the NFLPA NFC Defensive Lineman of the Year, and the following year, the Maxwell Football Club presented him the Bert Bell Award as the NFL Player of the Year. Olsen appeared in the Pro Bowl a record 14 times, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 in his first year of eligibility.
After retiring from professional football Olsen turned his attention to television, starring in the popular series Little House on the Prairie for four years. He worked for NBC as a sports commentator for several years, teaming up with Dick Enberg to call four Super Bowls and nine Rose Bowls during his career. In 2009, Utah State announced that they would be naming their football field the Merlin Olsen field and erecting a statue of the prolific player. Olsen passed away on March 11, 2010 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
