 Olsen on Little House on the Prairie | |||||||
| No. 74 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | September 15, 1940 Logan, Utah, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | March 11, 2010 (aged 69) Duarte, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Logan | ||||||
| College: | Utah State (1959–1961) | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1962 / round: 1 / pick: 3 | ||||||
| AFL draft: | 1962 / round: 1 / pick: 2 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Merlin Jay Olsen (/ˈoʊlsən/; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010)[1] was an American professional football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl 14 times — every year but his last. The only other football players to have matched or exceeded that number are the former offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, the former tight end Tony Gonzalez, the former quarterback Peyton Manning, and former quarterback Tom Brady, who is the only NFL player to have played more times in the Pro Bowl, with 15 selections.
In 1961, Olsen received the Outland Trophy, awarded to as the best lineman of the year in college football. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. As an actor, he portrayed farmer Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie. After leaving that series, he starred in his own NBC drama, Father Murphy.
- ^ Florio, Mike (March 11, 2010). "Reports: Merlin Olsen dies at 69". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved March 11, 2010.