Labeled fierce for his relentless play as a Hall of Fame defensive lineman, Merlin Olsen was also gentle enough for a role on one of television's most wholesome shows and as a spokesman in a well-known flower ad campaign. Mr. Olsen's deep, rich voice and...

When he received word Thursday morning that close friend and former teammate Merlin Olsen had succumbed to cancer, Rosey Grier cried. He had planned to visit Olsen at a Los Angeles area hospital Wednesday but was told by Olsen's brother, Phil, that it probably would be better if he waited until Friday.

Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Fame pro football defensive lineman with the Los Angeles Rams who was a charter member of the team's famed Fearsome Foursome, then made a remarkably smooth transition into careers in broadcasting and acting, has died. He was 69.

SALT LAKE CITY—Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who helped form one of the NFL’s greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died yesterday after a battle with cancer. He was 69. Mr. Olsen was a member of the Los Angeles Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” along with Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier in the 1960s. He later starred on NFL broadcasts, commercials, and ...

Hall of Fame football player and actor Merlin Olsen, a giant man who friends say had an even larger heart, died Thursday after a long battle with cancer, football and university officials said.

Merlin Olsen, 69, dies of cancer

Merlin Olsen, 69, dies of cancer

L.A. Rams Hall of Famer and TV actor Merlin Olsen dies of cancer at 69.

L.A. Rams Hall of Famer and TV actor Merlin Olsen dies of cancer at 69.