Newport Beach, Ca. – Merlin Olsen, one of the most decorated performers in the history of the National Football League, will be honored at the 4th annual Lott Trophy Dinner Dec. 9 in Newport Beach, Ca. Olsen has been named recipient of The Lott Trophy Lifetime IMPACT Award.
The award goes to a former athlete who excelled on the field and went on to a distinguished post-football career.
Olsen, a member of the fabled Fearsome Foursome of the Los Angeles Rams, was a college All-American at Utah State where he won the 1961 Outland Trophy as the outstanding lineman in the nation. Drafted in the first round by the Rams in 1962, he played in a record 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, the most in NFL history. He is widely considered the finest defensive tackle to ever play in the league and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Moreover, Olsen was also a superb student. He received his master’s degree in economics from Utah State where he was Phi Kappa Phi and was inducted in the first class of the Academic All-American Hall of Fame.
Following his football career, Olsen became a highly acclaimed football announcer for NBC as well as an accomplished actor, appearing as a regular in “Little House on the Prairie” and then starring in his own show, “Father Murphy.”
Among his many charitable endeavors is the Children’s Miracle Network, which has raised monies for various children’s hospital around the nation for the past 25 years.
Known as one of the most dynamic motivational and inspirational speakers in the country, Olsen has been a popular figure on the banquet circuit for many years.
Merlin Olsen and his wife Susan have been married 44 years. They have three children—Kelly, Jill and Nathan—and four grandchildren.
The Lott Trophy is named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and goes to the outstanding college defensive player of the year who has had the biggest IMPACT on his team both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. It represents the first college football trophy to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance.
Sponsored by the The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the Lott Trophy has donated nearly $300,000 to various charities throughout the United States in just three years.
Forty-two of the top college players in the country have been named to the “Watch List” for 2007 with the winner being announced at the annual banquet.
The previous winners have been David Pollack of Georgia in 2004, DeMeco Ryans of Alabama in 2005 and Daymeion Hughes of Cal in 2006. Ryans went on to be named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season with the Houston Texans.
The banquet, a gala black-tie event at The Pacific Club, has featured Jack Kemp, Frank Gifford, Will Ferrell, John Robinson and Bill Walsh as speakers in the past. It is sold out for 2007.
