Olsen honored by Utah State

Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen, who passed away in March, is being honored in a special way by his alma mater.

Last year, Utah State University announced that its football field would be named in Merlin’s honor. That news came during a ceremony attended by Olsen just months prior to his death. At that time, the school also revealed that it was creating a statue of Merlin. Utah State has commissioned Blair Buswell, the noted sculptor who creates many of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s bronze busts, to produce the statue of Merlin. The statue will be unveiled during the Aggies’ homecoming game on October 23, 2010.

A fundraising campaign by the university is underway in the efforts of supporting three important goals in Merlin’s memory. Donors wishing to give $1,000 or more will be permanently recognized on a plaque near the site of statue located on campus near the stadium. In addition, anyone wishing to make a contribution in Olsen’s memory can give to two funds. The Merlin & Susan Olsen Scholarship Fund is geared toward student athletes and the Utah State University Athletics Department Fund supports efforts to return the school’s football competitiveness to the stature it enjoyed during Merlin’s era.

Contributions may be sent to Utah State University, Merlin Olsen Campaign, 1440 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322 or made online at www.usu.edu./campaign/giving.

Olsen was a 14-time Pro Bowler as the anchor of the Los Angeles Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line in a career that spanned from 1962 to 1976. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 and later served on the museum’s Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2009.

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