Watching Merlin Olsen play football was like watching a surgeon in an operating room. No wasted motion, precise and near-perfect technique, absolute confidence and self-control. Olsen performed his operations on Sunday afternoons for 15 NFL seasons, carving up linemen and quarterbacks who struggled to deal with one of the greatest defensive lines ever assembled.

As the stabilizing force and charter member of the Los Angeles Rams' Fearsome Foursome defensive front wall in the 1960s, the 6-5, 270-pound Olsen was a prototypical tackle with incredible upper body strength, explosive speed and the agility to outmaneuver frustrated blockers. But the real secret to his success came from within -- the Phi Beta Kappa classroom skills that he used to dissect the game and the players he competed against.

Off the field, Olsen was a gentle giant who spoke with soft, measured words about topics ranging from finance to politics. On the field, he played with control and discipline, unwilling to get caught up in the emotion and animalistic violence that sometimes dominated his occupation. He worked for 10 years as the left-side partner with Hall of Fame end Deacon Jones, forming one of the great pass-rushing, run-stuffing combinations in NFL history.

Jones was the speed-rushing, colorful playmaker. Olsen was the quiet, steady practitioner who stayed at home and covered up for his partner. The Rams' linemen worked innovative stunting and looping maneuvers that had never been tried before, many conceived by the analytical Olsen. A first-round pick in 1962 from Utah State, Olsen became a starter in the third game of his rookie season and played in 208 regular-season games, the final 198 in succession. He never played in an NFL championship game or Super Bowl, but before he retired in 1976, he earned a record 14 straight Pro Bowl invitations.