Is Greg Olsen Merlin Olsen’s grandson or son? Is Greg Olsen related to Merlin Olsen?
Introduction
Well, as keen sports fans will be well aware, the end of summer and the start of fall signifies many things.
Not only does it mark the end of uncomfortably hot weather, but it also means that the air will soon turn chilly, the leaves will change color, and pumpkin spice will be everywhere!
While people love Fall for many reasons, sports fans, in particular, can’t get enough of it because it marks the start of a new football season.
If you’re a fan of the NFL, you’ll already be familiar with some of the all-time greats of the sport.
When talking about the greats, you simply cannot sleep on Merlin Olsen.
Merlin is considered a legend of the sport, and because Greg Olsen has been grabbing headlines lately, people have started to question whether the two are related.
As they share the same last name, have football backgrounds, and look similar, people often ask if Merlin was his father.
So, is Greg Olsen Merlin Olsen’s son? Keep reading, and we’ll tell you.
Who is Greg Olsen?
Greg Olsen (88) takes off his helmet during the game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Diego Chargers – @Getty
Greg Walter Olsen was born on March 5, 1985, in New Jersey.
He is a former tight end and currently works as an NFL sportscaster.
Olsen played in the NFL for 14 seasons and played football in college at the University of Miami.
In 2007, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears.
He was a first-round draft pick and would go on to join the Carolina Panthers, where he would become the NFL’s first-ever tight end to record three seasons consecutively with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He would also make three Pro Bowls.
Olsen would retire from pro football following the 2020 season, finishing his career with the Seattle Seahawks.
Olsen currently works for Fox Sports, where he works as a color commentator.
He landed that job as, when he was winding down his career, he would begin commentating on NFL games during Bye Weeks.
In 2021, he would become a full-time commentator and would begin working alongside Kevin Burkhardt.
After just one year of full-time commentary, Olsen and Burkhardt were promoted to the number 1 commentary team before the 2022 season kicked off. They were the broadcast team for Fox for the Super Bowl LVII game.
Olsen is also a very charitable individual and has founded his cancer research charity, which he calls the Greg Olsen Charity. This came about thanks to his mother being a cancer survivor herself.
Greg Olsen and Kara Dooley attend 6th Annual NFL Honors at Wortham Theater Center – @Getty
Greg is happily married to his wife Kara, and the two have twins together.
Who was Merlin Olsen?
Merlin Jay Olsen was born September 15, 1940, and sadly passed away on March 11, 2010, aged just 69.
Merlin was not only an NFL legend, he also forged a successful career for himself in the acting industry.
Merlin Olsen #74 of the Los Angeles Rams in this portrait watching the action from the bench circa 1970 – @Getty
Merlin was an NFL player, actor, and broadcaster who enjoyed a 15-year playing career in the NFL.
Merlin played as a defensive tackle for the LA Rams and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl 14 times.
He played in the Pro Bowl every year of his playing career, but his last, which was quite the achievement.
In fact, only Peyton Manning, Bruce Matthews, Tony Gonzalez, and Tom Brady are the only other players in NFL history to have played or exceeded that number of Pro Bowl games.
Yes, Merlin really was that good.
Merlin was one of the Rams’ most valuable players and played his entire career with the team despite having interest from the Denver Broncos.
He signed his first contract in 1962, signing up for two years.
After retiring, Merlin would work as a broadcaster, commentator, and actor.
During the 1970s, Olsen would serve primarily as a color commentator for NBC. He would continue to work throughout the 80s.
Merlin, however, was also a keen entertainer and wanted to get into acting.
Merlin Olsen carries the Olympic Flame during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay in Kearns, Utah – @Getty
He landed a role in a John Wayne movie, The Undefeated, where he appeared as Little George.
Merlin landed a role on Little House on the Prairie, where he played the character of Jonathon Garvey, the sidekick of Michael Landon.
It was in 1981, however, that Olsen really rose to prominence.
Here, he landed his first starring role, playing the role of John Michael Murphy, in NBC’s ‘Father Murphy,’ a drama series that ran until 1983.
Merlin would also act in a number of smaller roles over the years and would pick up numerous awards, including ‘Athlete of the Century’ for Utah state.
Sadly, in 2010, aged just 69, Olsen passed away after a short battle with stomach cancer. He is buried in California.
@Getty
So, is Greg Olsen Merlin Olsen’s son or grandson? Is Greg Olsen related to Merlin Olsen?
So, now it’s time for the big question: is Greg Olsen Merlin Olsen’s son? Considering they both share the same last name and because they both had a background in NFL football and color commentary, a lot of online rumors began that stated that Greg Olsen was, in fact, Merlin Olsen’s son. Add to this the fact that they look similar, and you can certainly understand where these rumors began.
But is Greg Olsen Merlin Olsen’s son? Well, we can exclusively reveal that Greg Olsen is NOT Merlin Olsen’s son or grandson. The two may look alike, have similar backgrounds, and have the same last name, but Greg is not the son of the late great Merlin Olsen. There are no family ties between the two.
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Lee Parry is a writer and blogger originally from Manchester, UK, and he has a B.A. in Modern Languages from Manchester Metropolitan University. Parry occasionally teaches English and spends most of his free time reading.