Football Great Merlin Olsen Dead at 69

Merlin Olsen, a former Los Angeles Rams Hall of Fame defensive lineman, has died at the age of 69. Olsen, a member of the famed Fearsome Foursome, passed away early Thursday morning from a battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, in 2009.

In college Olsen was an All American at Utah State and won the Outland Trophy, given to the country's best interior defensive lineman, in 1961.

Olsen was a first round draft pick, the third overall pick, by the Rams in 1962. While with the Rams he teamed with linemen Rosie Grier, Deacon Jones, and Lamar Lundy to form the Fearsome Foursome, a defense group known for stopping offenses in their tracks. Olsen spent all 15 seasons of his professional football career with the Rams. He is the Rams all time leading tackler with 915 tackles.

Olsen earned NFL Most Valuable Player honors in 1974, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 14 consecutive seasons. He was named to the all decade team in both the 1960's and 1970's. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

After his playing career ended Olsen would become a familiar on television as both an actor and a pitchman. He played Jonathan Garvey on "Little House on the Prairie." He would get his own series in 1981 called "Father Murphy," which lasted two seasons. He also appeared in FTD Florist ads for many. He also was a broadcaster for several years, with partner Dick Enberg, for NBC Sports.

Olsen filed suit against NBC Studios, 20th Century Fox Films, Sherwin Williams, and Lennox Industries claiming that he contacted his mesothelioma when exposed to asbestos while working for these companies. The lawsuit was filed in January of this year.