He hasn't played football for more than 30 years, but his name is, in many ways, synonymous with Utah State football.
Merlin Olsen, a former Outland Trophy winner, All-American and NFL Hall of Famer, will be honored by the school Saturday evening in a ceremony at halftime of the Aggies' basketball game against Saint Mary's.
The ceremony will not only honor Olsen's career as a football player, but also recognize him for the many contributions made to the school over the past four decades. The school announced earlier during the football season that Olsen is suffering from cancer.
And while the school is not commenting and Olsen himself has not disclosed the extent of the disease he is fighting, Utah State is paying tribute to what might be the school's greatest Aggie ever before it is too late.
According to an entry on Wikipedia.com, Utah State will announce it is naming the playing field at Romney Stadium after Olsen.
Born in 1940, Olsen was a Cache Valley native who led the Aggies to a berth in the 1960 Sun Bowl, the 1961 Gotham Bowl and was the third overall selection in the 1962 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Also the second overall pick in that year's AFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, Olsen chose to play in the NFL, where he enjoyed one of the greatest careers in league history.
In 15 seasons with the Rams, Olsen was named to the Pro Bowl 14 times — still ranking first all time in the NFL — and was a six-time, first-team All-Pro selection.
Partnering with Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy, Olsen was part of the famed "Fearsome Foursome" on Los Angeles' defensive line. In 1999, the Sporting News published its list of the 100 greatest NFL players of all time and Olsen was ranked No. 25. He retired in 1976 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
After his playing days ended, Olsen found a career in television and movies, starring in "Little House on the Prairie," "Father Murphy" and "Aaron's Way." He became a spokesman for the Children's Miracle Network and a pitchman for FTD florists.
More recently, Olsen has lived a more private life in Park City and also maintains a home in the Bear Lake Valley, where he has been active in leading efforts to preserve the water quality and level in the lake.
Utah State declined to comment on whether the field at Romney Stadium would be named after Olsen. A bronze statue of Olsen has been commissioned and will be placed at the entrance to what will soon be Merlin Olsen Field, according to the Wikipedia entry.
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