NFL Huddle

Filed under: Rams, NFL Hall of Fame

Some players are considered "throwbacks.'' Merlin Olsen was a glimpse of the future.

Olsen, who died Thursday at age 69, came out of Utah State in 1962 as the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive tackle who was an athlete first in an era when most players his size were simply big bodies picked to stuff the middle and stop the run.

"He was way ahead of his time,'' said Gil Brandt, who in those days was in the first decade of a 30-year career as personnel director of the Dallas Cowboys.

"He was strong, he was fast, he was like the athlete of today back in 1962. He was as good as I've ever seen at that position. If there's someone better, I don't know who it is.''

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments