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Historical Society talk to explore Merlin Olsen's Logan years

A metallic statue of a football player against the red sunset.
Jeff Hunter
/
The Herald Journal
The statue of USU Aggie great Merlin Olsen at the south entrance to Maverik Stadium.

The storied football career of Logan native Merlin Olsen included many well known awards and accolades, but local residents might be surprised to learn the NFL Hall of Famer’s accomplishments also included a coveted basketball honor — coveted at least in these parts.

Olsen and his Logan LDS Sixth Ward teammates won the All-Church Basketball Tournament.

Surprisingly, Olsen was already an all-pro defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams when his team brought home the church ball hardware, having returned to Logan during the NFL off-season in the late 1960s to study for a master’s degree at Utah State University. And if that seems unfair to the mere mortals in the tournament, consider also that one of his teammates was Aggie basketball star and future NBA coach Phil Johnson.

Read the rest of the story on HJnews.com.

This story is made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership between The Herald Journal and Utah Public Radio.