Merlin Olsen Dies After Battle With Mesothelioma

by Amy Judd | March 11, 2010 at 09:17 am

588 views | 1 Recommendation | 0 comments

A Member of the Rams 'Fearsome Foursome', NFL Hall of Famer and TV Star Merlin Olsen Has Lost His Battle With Cancer

Merlin Olsen, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame and former player for the Rams lost his battle with mesothelioma on Thursday morning after a long battle against the cancer. He was 69 years old and his death was confirmed on the St. Louis Rams twitter stream.

Rams legend and Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen passed away after long battle with cancer. Condolences to his family.

Merlin Olsen was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009, which is a rare form on cancer that attacks the protective sac that covers many of the body's internal organs according to the National Cancer Institute. It often results from people who have worked with asbestos, and about 2,000 new cases are reported in the United States every year.

Merlin Olsen had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment to treat the cancer.

Olsen's Impressive Career

He played for the NFL from 1962 to 1976 and was a member of the Ram's 'Fearsome Foursome' with Deacon Jones, Roosevelt Grier and Lamar Lundy. It is reported that he missed only two games in the 15 seasons that he played for the NFL.

He was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was First-team All-Pro in 1964, and 1966 through 1970.

Olsen was also a TV star and appeared in Little House on the Prairie and played the lead in the show Father Murphy. He later worked as a NFL analyst for NBC.