On Merlin Olsen
March 11, 2010 at 5:36 pm Tina Hay 4 comments
Today brought the news that Merlin Olsen has died. He was, along with Rosey Grier ’56, Deacon Jones, and Lamar Lundy, the “Fearsome Foursome” of the late-1960s Los Angeles Rams. He later became a football commentator and a TV actor, but for me he’ll always be one of those football stars from my youth.
When I was a kid, the Rams were my favorite team, and in particular I had a serious crush on quarterback Roman Gabriel. I wrote to him—more than once!—to request autographed photos, and he always obliged. The above team photo from 1969 is one he sent me. Gabriel is in the back row near the center of the photo (wearing No. 18), and Merlin Olsen is a few players to his left (wearing No. 74). I’m not 100 percent sure where Rosey Grier is; he wore No. 76, and if you can pick him out, please drop me a note via the comments section below.
Tina Hay, editor
Entry filed under: Famous Penn Staters. Tags: Deacon Jones, Fearsome Foursome, Lamar Lundy, Los Angeles Rams, Merlin Olsen, Roman Gabriel, Rosey Grier.
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1. Rosey Grier on Merlin Olsen « | March 12, 2010 at 8:07 am
[...] Mickadeit of the Orange County (Calif.) Register talked with Rosey Grier ’56 yesterday about the death of his former Los Angeles Rams teammate, Merlin Olsen. Grier and Olsen met at the Rams’ [...]
2. jp | March 13, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Merlin Olsen was a great man. I learned to love him when I followed the LA Rams in late 60 & 70′s I also had a HUGE crush on Roman Gabriel.
3. ted | March 13, 2010 at 3:47 pm
What a great man
4. Tina Hay | March 14, 2010 at 9:33 am
jp — Glad to hear I’m not the only one who adored Roman Gabriel! :-)