Football, TV star Merlin Olsen dead

DUARTE, Calif., March 11 (UPI) -- Pro football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen, who later moved into sports commentary and acting, died Thursday, the St. Louis Rams said. He was 69.

A longtime color commentator for NBC-TV's professional football and Rose Bowl broadcasts, Olsen was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma last year and underwent three courses of chemotherapy.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs. It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

Olsen filed a lawsuit against NBC and other companies in December, claiming they were responsible for his cancer due to his exposure to asbestos while working at them, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Besides his sports commentary, Olsen played Jonathan Garvey in NBC's "Little House on the Prairie" from 1974 to 1984 and starred in his own NBC series, "Father Murphy," from 1981 to 1983.

He was also a spokesman for the FTD floral wire service in TV commercials.

Olsen, who was 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, played his entire 15-year football career, from 1962 to 1977, with the Los Angeles Rams.

He was part of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line -- with David "Deacon" Jones, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy -- which set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season in 1968.

Olsen remains the Rams' all-time leader in career tackles, with 915.

Olsen appeared in the Pro Bowl 14 times and was the National Football League's most valuable player in 1974.

He was earlier an All-American at Utah State University and a first-round draft pick of the Rams in 1962.

He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.