LA Rams’ rafters: Why are those jersey numbers retired?

DT Olsen

The nest retired Rams jersey is number 74, and that number belongs to DT Merlin Olsen, perhaps best known as the man in the middle, the run stopper of the famous “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line of the Rams.  He was the anchor in the middle that allowed the other three players – Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy, and Rosey Grier – to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Olsen was said to have kept order along the scrimmage line, sniffing out draw plays and screen passes.

In his 15 year career spent entirely with the Rams from 1962 to 1976, Olsen was selected to the Pro Bowl in 14 consecutive seasons, missing only the last year of his career. As the Rams drafted the top pick in the 1962 NFL Draft out of Utah State. He was big and agile and played football with intelligence and smarts.

He was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1962 and never looked back, as he became a model of consistency and dependability, going on to play in 208 games, with the last 198 games in a row. He was the Rams’ all-time leader in career tackles with 915 until linebacker James Laurinaitis retired as the Rams’ all-time leading tackler with 654 tackles many years after Olsen was gone.

Although he was Mr. Consistency, Olsen never played in a Super Bowl.

A recipient of the 1961 Outland Trophy as the best lineman in college football, Olsen is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

A leading defensive star of his era, he missed only two games in his entire 15-season NFL career. Talk about durability!

He was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was First-team All-Pro in 1964, and 1966 through 1970. He was voted Second-team All-Pro in 1965, 1973, and 1974.

Amongst his many accolades was Most Valuable Player in 1974 and being named to the 75th
Anniversary All-Time Team, the 1960s All-Decade Team, the 1970s All-Decade Team, and the AFL-NFL 1960-1984 All-Star Team.

After retiring as a player he spent 15 seasons as an analyst for CBS and NBC and transitioned to becoming an actor, where he portrayed farmer Jonathan Garvey on “Little House on the Prairie” and later starred in his own NBC television drama, “Father Murphy.”