In this video, Merlin Olsen is the host of the 1981 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Award Show…..and in this segment, he narrates highlights of many outstanding events and achievements in the world of sports….which has some absolutely classic “snipits” of video, like The Catch by 49’ers Dwight Clarke from QB Joe Montana to beat the Dallas Cowboys…..and more.
Merlin Jay Olsen (September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American football player, announcer, and actor. He played his entire 15-year professional football career in National Football League (NFL) as a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams. He was selected to the Pro Bowl a record 14 straight times….while missing being selected only in the last year of his career. This record of 14 seasons selected to play in the Pro Bowl, consecutive or otherwise, is current and shared with former offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, former tight end Tony Gonzalez, and former quarterback Peyton Manning. A recipient of the 1961 Outland Trophy as the best lineman in college football…., Olsen is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. As an actor, he portrayed farmer Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie…..and after leaving that series, he starred in his own NBC drama, Father Murphy. Olsen was also the sidekick of NBC’s Dick Enberg as the network’s lead NFL broadcast team….but we’ll tell more about those two when more of their work rolls up to be posted.
