Football Capsules: NFL exec testifies in Williamses' drug lawsuit
MINNEAPOLIS — An NFL executive testified in court that he consistently applied the league’s anti-doping policy, and alleged Thursday that the lead attorney for two Minnesota Vikings stars leaked information about their positive test for a banned drug.
The league’s vice president for law and labor policy, Adolpho Birch, was on the witness stand before a Hennepin County judge for more than 3 hours, as the case of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams against the NFL continued for a fourth day.
Vikings head coach Brad Childress and vice president for football operations Rob Brzezinski are scheduled to appear Friday, and perhaps a financial official from the league.
The attorney for the players, Peter Ginsberg, said he wasn’t the source of the media report in October 2008 that first brought this complicated legal fight to public light. Ginsberg will ask judge Gary Larson to add his denial of Birch’s accusation to Friday’s record.
Birch testified that in 2006 he told the league’s independent drug advisor, Dr. John Lombardo, that Lombardo was improperly interpreting policy by issuing exemptions for inadvertent use of the diuretic bumetanide.
The drug is at the root of the conflict, with the Williamses contending the NFL doesn’t have the right to suspend them for four games for a positive test. They’re arguing the league’s anti-doping policy application violated Minnesota labor laws that give employers no more than three days to tell workers they failed a drug test and require them to preserve their confidentiality.
The NFL, on the other hand, contends the Vikings employ the players and can’t subject league-wide drug testing policy to individual state laws.
Attorneys for the Williamses also argue the NFL has unevenly enforced the policy and didn’t properly inform players about the weight-loss supplement StarCaps, pointing to Lombardo’s earlier testimony that some players tested positive for banned diuretics before the Williamses but weren’t punished. The pair took StarCaps, which didn’t include bumetanide on the label.
The league has a no-tolerance policy, making players responsible for what’s in their bodies even if they didn’t intend to take a substance that’s banned.
The Williamses have alleged the leak of the initial report came from the NFL, which Birch denied. He took that stance further under examination from another attorney for the players, Steven Rau, by accusing Ginsberg of breaching the confidentiality of the program.
"That would be the most logical person," Birch said.
Dr. Bryan Finkle, a toxicology consultant for the league who works with Lombardo on the program, also testified Thursday. So did the agents for both players, who said publicity from the court case has unfairly hurt them off the field.
Pat Williams’ agent, Angelo Wright, said his client had to cancel several community service opportunities and also tabled an endorsement deal with a California energy drink company that he said could have paid him $450,000 over three years.
Kevin Williams’ agent, Tom Condon, said the situation could hurt his client’s chance of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Kevin Williams is an All-Pro defensive tackle entering his eighth season with the Vikings.
There were a few moments of levity during a drawn-out day of peppering witnesses. There were questions about dozens of memos and documents, and lawyers on both sides frequently asked to flip back and forth among pieces of evidence.
Attorneys for the players spent several minutes searching for the right documents, which led to some delays. Larson encouraged efficiency and expediency, at one point telling NFL attorney Dan Nash to hurry up. Rau once laughed at his inability to pronounce bumetanide, but Birch didn’t crack a smile.
After discussing the witness schedule and the possibility of more testimony next week, Rau mentioned to the judge that Pat Williams has a family vacation scheduled. The judge said the trial could continue without the players in attendance.
"There’s no reason for them to sit here. I’m sure they’ve been bored to death," Larson said.
Tomlinson leaves Vikings, headed to Jets
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings wined and dined LaDainian Tomlinson on Wednesday night, then spent much of Thursday meeting with the star running back in hopes of pairing him with Adrian Peterson in what would be a big-name backfield.
Tomlinson emerged from Vikings headquarters on Thursday evening with a purple Vikings jersey in hand, but pulled away in a black limousine without a deal in place.
Tomlinson declined to comment to reporters before the limo drove away, but several people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the two sides had yet to reach a deal and Tomlinson was headed to the New York Jets for a visit on Friday. Those people spoke anonymously because talks are ongoing with Tomlinson.
That doesn’t mean the Vikings have lost out on their first choice to replace the departed Chester Taylor as the third-down back behind Peterson. But it does show that Tomlinson is being deliberate and thorough in his first foray into free agency after nine mostly brilliant seasons with the San Diego Chargers.
As Tomlinson chases the Super Bowl appearance that has eluded him so far, he has set his sights early on two teams that advanced to the conference championship games in January and also place an emphasis on the running game.
After visiting the Vikings, who lost to the Saints in the NFC title game, Tomlinson will now visit Rex Ryan and the Jets, who fell to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game.
With the Jets, Tomlinson would back up Shonn Greene, who emerged in his rookie season and helped make Thomas Jones expendable in New York. Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this week.
Minnesota lost the dependable Taylor to the Chicago Bears, so it needs an experienced, versatile player behind the All-Pro Peterson. Tomlinson’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and fill in as a capable pass blocker makes him an ideal fit.
"I’m sure he wants to know what our vision is for him and then our sense for him is, will he fit? From a mindset standpoint, from a physical standpoint, from a systems standpoint," Vikings coach Brad Childress said Wednesday about the visit.
Tomlinson was released by the Chargers in February. After being drafted in 2001, he skyrocketed to stardom and helped put the Chargers back on the map. He ranks eighth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards. His 138 career touchdowns rushing rank second, and his 153 total touchdowns rank third.
But he never reached a Super Bowl in San Diego and age and injuries started to take their toll in recent seasons. Tomlinson will turn 31 in June and is coming off the least productive season of his career. He had 730 yards rushing on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows. He still managed to score 12 touchdowns, but his role was reduced in an offense that shifted its focus to Philip Rivers and the passing game.
With Peterson already in Minnesota, Tomlinson would not have to be the every-down, do-everything player he was with the Chargers. But the reduced role could put him in a position to get that first Super Bowl.
"It’s the old close but no cigar. That’s what comes to mind," Childress said. "I’m sure as he’s surveying the landscape of people that are approaching he and his agent, that’s always something. You don’t really want to go somewhere and get your brains beat out. You want to go and have a chance to win and compete and win that ultimate prize."
The role could fit him well at this stage of his career. He is an excellent route runner and superb pass catcher, two things Peterson is still working on heading into his fourth season.
Tomlinson also could be intrigued by the possibility of taking handoffs from Brett Favre. The quarterback is still mulling whether to return for a 20th NFL season.
Favre’s return could give the Vikings a slight edge over the Jets, who will have Mark Sanchez returning for a second season under center after a promising rookie year. But the Jets’ stellar offensive line and the fact that they play on grass and not artificial turf, could be attractive for Tomlinson as well.
It was unclear on Thursday night when Tomlinson would make a decision, or if he has any more visits scheduled after the Jets.
-- Jon Krawczynski
Jake Delhomme visiting Browns
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are hosting Jake Delhomme and maybe dangling Brady Quinn.
Released last week after seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Delhomme is visiting Thursday with the perpetually rebuilding Browns, who have been busy this week trying to improve their unstable quarterback situation.
Delhomme’s agent, Rick Smith, confirmed that the 35-year-old free agent QB is at the Browns’ team headquarters in Berea, Ohio.
The team has not yet commented on Delhomme’s visit.
The Browns have been actively shopping for a quarterback, a position they haven’t been able to adequately fill since their NFL expansion return in 1999. Earlier this week, the team acquired backup Seneca Wallace in a trade from Seattle and released Derek Anderson, who took a swipe at Cleveland fans on his way out of town.
The club’s interest in Delhomme seems to indicate a reluctance to hand the starting job back to Quinn, who has struggled as a pro. Quinn is just 3-9 in 12 career starts with Cleveland, but some of the former Notre Dame star’s inconsistency can be attributed to the Browns’ lack of talent, as well as coaching and front-office changes in recent years.
Quinn was rumored to be on the trading block last year, but the Browns didn’t find a suitable deal and he began the 2009 season as their starter. He was replaced just 2½ games in by Anderson, who couldn’t hold down the job and was eventually benched.
Browns president Mike Holmgren, who has spent his career developing quarterbacks, has yet to endorse Quinn, another sign the club may be trying to trade him.
Holmgren knows that finding a competent quarterback is essential to any team’s success.
"It’s a huge decision," Holmgren said at the scouting combine last month. "It’s the most important decision on the football team and the great teams have that guy."
If he’s signed by the Browns, Delhomme could serve as a mentor for Quinn or possibly take over as starter while the club grooms another QB. Cleveland currently has 11 draft picks, and it’s possible it could use a high one on a college prospect.
Delhomme went 58-40 in seven seasons as the Panthers’ starter and led them to their only Super Bowl appearance. However, he threw 18 interceptions last season and was cut so the Panthers could trim payroll and promote Matt Moore to starter.
Delhomme was wildly popular in Carolina. He joined the Panthers as a free agent in 2003 and led them to the Super Bowl in his first season. He holds almost every team passing record, and after he was released last week, Delhomme broke down in tears as he said goodbye to Carolina fans.
--Tom Withers
Jets, S Pool agree in principle to 1-year deal
NEW YORK — The New York Jets and safety Brodney Pool, whose career appeared to be threatened by head injuries, agreed in principle to a one-year contract Thursday worth $1.3 million.
The deal includes $1.2 million guaranteed, agent Ben Dogra told The Associated Press.
Pool wasn’t given a second-round tender by Cleveland last week, making him an unrestricted free agent.
"He’s going to sign there and have a great opportunity to play in a terrific defense under Rex Ryan," Dogra said. "It was the No. 1 place for him and hopefully it’s the first year of many for him there as a New York Jet."
The 25-year-old Pool gives the Jets a replacement for Kerry Rhodes, whom they traded to Arizona last weekend — as long as Pool remains healthy. He has been cleared to play, but Pool missed Cleveland’s final five games last season after sustaining what reportedly was at least his fourth known concussion — a number Dogra disputes.
"He is healthy and ready to go," Dogra said. "Despite reports to the contrary, Brodney only had one known concussion. He is excited about the opportunity to play for the Jets and making a contribution to the No. 1 defense in the NFL."
Pool, a second-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2005, had 50 tackles, four interceptions and a sack before being injured at Cincinnati in Week 12. He has 11 interceptions and four sacks in five seasons, all with the Browns.
Pool holds the Browns’ franchise record for longest interception return, going 100 yards for a score against the Baltimore Ravens in 2007.
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
QB Moore signs 1-year tender with Panthers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Matt Moore has signed his one-year, $3.043 million tender with the Carolina Panthers, who have declared him the starting quarterback going into training camp.
Moore’s agent, Lynn Lashbrook, says Moore preferred to sign the tender than test the free agency market. Thursday’s move comes a week after the Panthers released longtime starter Jake Delhomme.
The 25-year-old Moore went 4-1 as a starter with eight touchdowns and two interceptions and a passer rating of 98.5 after Delhomme was sidelined with a broken finger at the end of last season.
The Panthers placed the highest possible tender on Moore, meaning a team would have had to surrender first- and third-round draft picks to Carolina to sign the restricted free agent.
Arizona re-signs Bridges; LBs Porter, Foote visit
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have re-signed offensive tackle Jeremy Bridges to a three-year contract and welcomed free agent linebackers Joey Porter and Larry Foote for a visit.
Quarterback Derek Anderson, released by the Cleveland Browns this week, is scheduled to be in Tempe to meet with the Cardinals on Friday.
Bridges appeared in all 16 regular-season games at left tackle, four as a starter, for Arizona last season.
Porter, a four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, was released by the Miami Dolphins.
Foote, an inside linebacker, led Detroit in tackles last season despite missing two games. He started every game for Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2008.
Both were at the Cardinals facility on Thursday.
Raiders release DT Gerard Warren
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders have released defensive tackle Gerard Warren after three seasons with the organization.
The Raiders announced the move on their Web site Thursday. Warren is the fourth veteran the Raiders have released in the past week. He follows running back Justin Fargas, defensive end Greg Ellis and receiver Javon Walker.
Oakland acquired Warren from Denver just before the start of the 2007 season in the first trade between the two rivals since Willie Brown came to the Raiders in 1967.
This move didn’t work out nearly as well for the Raiders. Warren had 77 solo tackles and 10 sacks in 44 games with Oakland.
-- Josh Dubow
Redskins’ Snyder supports free agency approach
VIENNA, Va. — Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder says he supports the measured approach to free agency taken by new coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen.
Snyder spoke briefly Thursday night before the team’s annual charity dinner. When it was pointed out that the Redskins’ low-key free agent signings have differed from his aggressive approach in years past, Snyder said: "It’s really not about the past now. It’s really about the future."
The Redskins have signed three players in the first week of free agency. Free agent running back Larry Johnson will meet with Shanahan on Friday.
Redskins sign free-agent tight end Sean Ryan
ASHBURN, Va. — Free-agent tight end Sean Ryan has signed with the Washington Redskins.
Ryan caught 14 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
He has 26 catches for 240 yards and those two TDs in six NFL seasons with six teams.
The 6-foot-5 Ryan turns 30 on March 27.
Eagles sign WR Chad Hall
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles have signed wide receiver Chad Hall to a three-year contract.
Hall last played at Air Force in 2007. He was the only player in the nation to lead his team in yards rushing (1,478), yards receiving (524 on 50 catches) and all-purpose yards (2,683). He scored 16 touchdowns.
The 23-year-old Hall has spent the last two years serving as a second lieutenant at Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah.
Colts sign free agent OL Andy Alleman
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have signed free agent guard Andy Alleman.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder was New Orleans’ third-round draft choice in 2007. He started four games in Miami in 2008, and started three games for Kansas City last season.
He played college football at Akron. The signing announced Thursday comes three days after the Colts released Ryan Lilja, their starting left guard.
Team president Bill Polian was critical of the offensive line following Indy’s Super Bowl loss to New Orleans.
Kansas City signs former Arizona receiver Urban
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have acquired free agent wide receiver Jerheme Urban, who spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
The 6-foot-3, 207-pound Urban has 87 catches for 1,231 yards in a career that started in 2003 with the Seattle Seahawks. He has played in six postseason games, including the Super Bowl.
His biggest year was 2008, when he had 34 catches for 448 yards and four touchdowns.
Urban has played in 47 games with six starts. He was in Seattle from 2003-2005, spent part of the 2006 season on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, then played for Arizona from 2007-2009.
Kansas City announced the signing on Thursday. Terms were not disclosed.
Lions re-sign OT Jon Jansen and LB Vinny Ciurciu
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have added depth on both sides of the ball.
Detroit re-signed offensive tackle Jon Jansen and linebacker Vinny Ciurciu to one-year contracts Thursday.
Jansen started twice and played in 11 games last season for the Lions. Ciurciu helped out on special teams in nine games last season for them.
Detroit has been active this offseason after winning just two games last year and none in 2008.
The Lions have signed defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, wide receiver Nate Burleson and cornerback Jonathan Wade. They made trades to add defensive Corey Williams and cornerback Chris Houston.
Bengals give DT Tank Johnson 4-year deal
CINCINNATI — Defensive tackle Tank Johnson has signed a four-year deal to stay with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Johnson started 13 games last season despite a case of plantar faciitis in his right foot that limited his mobility and caused a lot of pain. He felt better as the season went along, and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in a playoff loss to the Jets.
Johnson came to Cincinnati on a one-year deal from Dallas. The Bengals consider him an important part of their defensive line rotation and a reason why their run defense improved last season. Cincinnati finished fourth overall in defense last season, seventh against the run.
Rams re-sign TE Fells
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Rams have re-signed tight end Daniel Fells, who caught three touchdown passes in 2009.
Terms of this week’s deal were not disclosed.
Fells was signed off of Tampa Bay’s practice squad in October 2008 and emerged as an effective second tight end for St. Louis. He played in 14 games with four starts in 2009 before missing the final two games with a knee injury.
Fells had 21 catches for 273 yards. Two of his touchdown catches came in a game against Green Bay.
Bullocks signs with Bears
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Restricted free agent safety Josh Bullocks has signed his one-year tender offer from the Chicago Bears.
Bullocks made four starts and appeared in 12 games with the Bears last season, finishing with 21 tackles — 14 in the last two games — and five special teams stops.
He has 327 tackles, six interceptions and 28 pass breakups in five seasons with the Bears and New Orleans Saints.
Elsewhere
Man convicted in slaying of Broncos cornerback
DENVER — The group of Denver Broncos players arrived at the Safari nightclub to celebrate New Year’s Eve and was whisked inside by bouncers. One of the dozens of people waiting in line to get in — an alleged Tre-Tre Crips gang member — took exception.
"We street," Willie Clark told wide receiver Brandon Marshall, according to court testimony. "We got money too."
That encounter between celebrated professional athletes and an alleged angry gang member ultimately led to the Jan. 1, 2007, shooting death of cornerback Darrent Williams, a jury decided Thursday, convicting Clark of first degree murder.
"It was a chance meeting and it was a ridiculous altercation that led to this tragic result," said Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.
Clark, 26, faces life in prison at his April 30 sentencing.
It took prosecutors and police nearly two years to build their case against Clark, partly because those who witnessed the shooting were part of a gang drug ring that was under federal investigation, Morrissey said. A code of silence kept those witnesses from talking.
Federal drug cases pending against the gang’s members helped crack the case. Several witnesses testified they saw or heard from Clark that he fired shots from an SUV truck into a stretch Hummer limousine carrying Williams and 16 others from the nightclub at 2 a.m. Williams died in teammate Javon Walker’s arms.
"It was this man, who indiscriminately, with universal maliciousness ... took it upon himself to unload his .40-caliber handgun into that limousine full of innocent people," Chief Deputy District Attorney Timothy Twining said in his closing argument.
Inside the nightclub, Clark continued to confront the athletes, prosecutors said. During testimony, Marshall described Clark as "off the hook" after a member of the Broncos’ entourage sprayed champagne on New Year’s revelers.
Prosecutors portrayed Williams as a peacemaker as his friends argued with gang members.
Marshall, who was at the nightclub but not in Williams’ limo, grew emotional on the stand as he described teammates with bloodstained clothes at a hospital afterward. He said Walker clutched a bloody necklace Williams was wearing and wouldn’t let it go.
Some gang members testified against Clark in exchange for lighter sentences on unrelated crimes. Two witnesses refused to testify against Clark, saying their families would be hurt if they spoke out against a gang member. A third witness spent a night in jail before changing his mind and agreeing to tell jurors Clark confessed to the shooting.
Security was tight throughout the 11-day trial. Thirteen armed deputies stood in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Deputies also were stationed along a hallway outside the courtroom.
Clark declined to testify in his defense, citing threats to himself and his family. Defense attorney Darren Cantor said gang members had threatened to turn Clark into "Swiss cheese" if he said anything in court.
Another defense attorney, Abraham Hutt, maintained that Clark wasn’t even in the SUV when the shooting happened.
"This is what this is about: Willie Clark is a scapegoat," Hutt told jurors.
Hutt tried to undercut the credibility of five prosecution witnesses who got shorter prison time in other cases in exchange for testifying. Hutt said the five saw their sentences reduced by a combined 188 years.
"We did what we thought was necessary to get the truth in front of those jurors," Morrissey said.
Hutt said the prosecution’s star witness, Daniel "Ponytail" Harris, faced a life sentence for a drug charge but will be released within two years. Harris testified that he saw Clark fire the shots.
The defense suggested during the trial that Harris had fired into the limo. Harris hasn’t been charged in the case.
A written exchange between the jurors and District Judge Christina Habas during deliberations seemed to center on the possibility that someone else was involved in the shooting.
Jurors asked Habas if complicity was enough for a conviction. Habas answered that it was, if prosecutors met their burden of proof — even if jurors found that someone else committed all or part of a murder.
Williams was a star cornerback at O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth, Texas. He played at Oklahoma State, where he was a 2003 All-Big 12 selection. The Broncos made him their second-round pick, 56th overall, in the 2005 draft.
In his second season, Williams was already a starter and had four interceptions, second-best on the team. He was tied for third in tackles with 86.
"After three long years, it is very gratifying to see closure brought to this case," Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said in a prepared statement.
Shortly before the shooting, Williams had said he wanted to return to his native Fort Worth to talk to kids about staying out of gangs.
"The guy had an excellent future ahead of him and to see it cut short senselessly by violence, it’s just really sad," said Nick Ferguson, a former Broncos safety who played with Williams.
"As elated as I am, as happy as I am over the conviction, it won’t bring Darrent back to his mom or to his kids," Ferguson said. "But I do know, after all this time, this means a lot for his family. Maybe now, Darrent can rest in peace."
Clark showed no emotion as the verdict was read. He leaned back and looked at the ceiling when the jury was dismissed, and gave a small smile to relatives before he was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs.
There was no immediate word on a possible appeal. But Cantor told three sobbing people in the courtroom, "Try to breathe, OK? That’s what appeals are for."
Williams’ mother, Rosalind Williams, wept as she left the courtroom.
"Something has to happen in society to stop gang violence," she said afterward.
Asked if she thought there were other gang members responsible for her son’s slaying, Williams gave a tight smile, leaned into a microphone and said, "No comment."
Jurors deliberated a day and a half before convicting Clark on all 21 counts he faced, including the attempted murders of the 16 others in the limousine.
"We’ll never know what happened that night," Rosalind Williams said. "This is a start, to clean up the streets here and hopefully everywhere else."
-- Kristen Wyatt
Football Hall of Famer, TV star Olsen dies at 69
SALT LAKE CITY — Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who helped form one of the NFL’s greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 69.
Olsen was a member of the Los Angeles Rams’ "Fearsome Foursome" along with Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier in the 1960s. He later starred on NFL broadcasts, commercials, and as Jonathan Garvey on the TV series "Little House on the Prairie."
"He was ferocious and fearless on the football field and then the other probably more important aspect of his personality was he was a true gentleman," said fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood, his teammate with the Rams in Los Angeles. "We all know what a wonderful, tremendous football player he was, but he was so much more than that."
Utah State, Olsen’s alma mater, said he died outside of Los Angeles. He was diagnosed last year with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining often linked to asbestos.
Olsen filed a lawsuit last year, claiming he contracted the disease as a result of being exposed to asbestos on construction sites where he worked as a child and young adult.
"He cared deeply about people, especially those that shared the game of football with him," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Merlin was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy."
Olsen was a consensus All-American at Utah State and won the 1961 Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. The Rams drafted him third overall in 1962 and he spent the next 15 years with the team, and is still the franchise’s career leader in tackles with 915. He was picked to 14 straight Pro Bowls, a string that began with his rookie year.
He joined Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier on the Rams’ storied "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line known for either stopping or knocking backward whatever offenses it faced. The Rams set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season in 1968.
Youngblood joined the Rams as a rookie in 1971, backing up Jones as Olsen continued to anchor the other side of the line. Youngblood remembered Olsen telling him as a young player to push to be great not just on every play, but with "every heartbeat."
"When you stop and think of Merlin on the field, he accomplished things that will never be accomplished again," Youngblood said. "If it hadn’t been for Merlin Olsen, I wouldn’t have turned out to be the football player that he helped mold and make."
Former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Jerry Kramer remembered in his 1968 book "Instant Replay," co-written with late sportswriter and broadcaster Dick Schaap, dreading Olsen.
"I’ll be facing Merlin Olsen, and that’s definitely work, not fun," Kramer wrote. "Merlin never lets up. He’ll run right over you no matter what the score is."
Olsen was voted NFC defensive lineman of the year in 1973 and the NFL MVP in 1974, and was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
"Merlin Olsen is one of the best players in the history of the NFL," Rams general manager Billy Devaney said. "His passing is a tremendous loss for the Rams. He will always be remembered as an ambassador for the organization as well as the National Football League."
Olsen made a few television cameos during his football career and turned to acting full time after he retired in 1976. He’s best remembered for his role alongside Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert on "Little House on the Prairie" from 1977-81, and on the short-lived "Father Murphy."
He also stayed in the game as a broadcaster. Olsen wasn’t just some former player who knew football and would weave tales of his playing days into the broadcast. He was well-spoken and smart. The son of a former school teacher, Olsen graduated summa cum laude at Utah State with a degree in economics and earned a master’s in economics in between his 15 NFL seasons.
"Merlin was a valued and cherished member of the NBC family in the 1970s and ‘80s. He loomed as large in the broadcast booth as on the football field," NBC Sports president Ken Schanzer said. "Merlin brought both his knowledge of the game and his humanity to bear on his work."
Utah State honored Olsen in December by naming the football field at Romney Stadium after him. Because of his illness, Olsen’s alma mater didn’t want to wait until football season and made the announcement during halftime of a basketball game.
Olsen was well enough to attend, but did not speak at the event. He stood and smiled as he waved to fans during a standing ovation and chants of "Merlin Olsen!" and "Aggie Legend!"
Utah State is also planning a statue of Olsen at the southeast corner of the stadium.
"This was the voice of a man who not only became one of our country’s most decorated athletes, but also one of the most accomplished and respected people ever to hail from the state of Utah," said Stan Albrecht, president of Utah State.
The Rams also honored Olsen during a game Dec. 20, with a video tribute narrated by Enberg. Olsen did not attend because of his health. His name was already part of the Ring of Fame inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis along with other franchise standouts.
"I love the game of football," Olsen said in his Hall of Fame induction speech. "There was some special magic out on that piece of grass out there on that field. And win or lose when I came off that field, it was always coming down. I am sure that the thing I miss most about the game is the people, the very special people and those incredible highs and lows."
Olsen is survived by his wife, Susan, and three children. There was no word Thursday on funeral arrangements.
-- Doug Alden
Silverdome is open for business again
PONTIAC, Mich. —The Silverdome used to be a venue that welcomed everyone from the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons to Pope John Paul II, Elvis Presley and WrestleMania III.
Its new owners are hoping to make the domed stadium a legitimate place for entertainment again.
Toronto-based Triple Investment Group LLC had a news conference Thursday to announce its plans to host six to eight events this year. It bought the 80,000-plus facility for $583,000 last year at an auction.
The owner said it plans to hold the Green Soccer Bowl featuring World Cup teams from Ghana and Nigeria in May, but the chance of that happening — on turf just a few weeks before the actual World Cup — seems unlikely. Ghana’s soccer federation has not confirmed the team’s participation.
A monster truck and motorsports show on April 17 will be its first event in the 35-year-old venue.
"Welcome back to the Silverdome," Triple Investment Group chairman Andreas Apostolopoulous said. "We are very happy to bring this wonderful building back to life."
The new owners have spruced up the place, painting and cleaning the public areas and installing flat-screen TVs in the suites.
The stadium in suburban Detroit likely accumulated a lot of dust because it has been quiet for the most part since the Lions moved back to downtown for the 2002 season.
When it was completed at a cost of $55.7 million in 1975, the Silverdome was an engineering marvel. The air-supported and cable-restrained stadium was the largest of its kind and was the first example of a fiberglass-fabric roof. In the Silverdome’s first year, it hosted Elvis’ last stadium concert.
The Super Bowl followed in 1982 as did a slew of other marquee events, including two unique ones in the same calendar year. More than 93,000 flocked to the facility in 1987 for the Pope to celebrate Mass and to watch Hulk Hogan slam Andre The Giant at WrestleMania.
