Sad news today as the Rams mourn the passing of Merlin Olsen, a few short months after his number was retired. VanRam at TST has a nice tribute, as does Matt at RamsGab. The official Rams site has a very classy graphic tribute to his career. The full writeup is here.
I wasn’t around to see him play, but know of him as a legend. My words won’t do the man justice. But Tex Maule of SI broke down his technique at the height of his play back in 1964 in an article that is very much worth reading, even if Alex Karras got the cover shot: A Gigantic Midget Among Giant Men.
(If you’re in the mood for nostalgia, you can view a complete scan of the actual issue, vintage whiskey and car ads and all.)
