NFL Star Merlin Olsen died at the age of 69 on Tuesday March 11, 2010. Merlin Olsen was part of the legendary ‘Fearsome Foursome’ in the 1960′s, with the Los Angeles Rams.
USA Today – Death of Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen saddens ‘Fearsome’ mates – Mar 11 11:38 PM. 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.
Olsen died of mesothelioma, a rare cancerous disease often related to asbestos exposure. The symptoms of this disease may not appear until 20 to 50 years after the exposure to asbestos.
Sports Illustrated – Merlin Olsen dead at 69 – Mar 11 9:39 AM. Merlin Olson, a fearsome Hall of Fame defensive end who later became famed for his gentle-giant roles on television, died Wednesday night from cancer. He was 69 years old. Olsen had been fighting mesothelioma since 2009 and had been undergoing chemotherapy.
AP via Yahoo! News – Football star and TV actor Merlin Olsen dies at 69 – Mar 11 2:39 PM. Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman and member of the Los Angeles Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” who followed up football with a successful television career in “Little House on the Prairie,” NFL broadcasts and commercials, has died. He was 69.
