Merlin Olsen passed away at age 69

[mc1962]

Merlin Jay Olsen (September 15, 1940 - March 11, 2010) was a former American football player in the National Football League and an actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

He also enjoyed success as an actor. When Little House on the Prairie actor Victor French left to star in his own comedy Carter Country in 1977, Olsen was tapped to play Michael Landon's new sidekick Jonathan Garvey for several years. One memorable quote from Merlin during the series, "I don't know a thing about football" was when Charles and Jonathan were to coach a boys football team. A couple of years later, Landon cast Olsen as the masquerading priest Father Murphy.

He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009 and underwent three courses of chemotherapy. In January 2010 he filed a lawsuit against NBC Studios, NBC Universal, and 20th Century Fox for exposing him to asbestos.

Olsen's brother Orrin announced that he passed away on March 10, 2010 from his struggle with cancer

[dreamyxo]

I remember him from Little House didn't know he played football.

[mgint]

sorry about his death he was a great football player and a pretty good actor enjoyed father murphy show and remember him in the flower commercials.