Merlin Olsen

“At 285 pounds, I was extremely strong, and it was all usable strength that I could direct against opponents, not like that of a weightlifter, whose feats of power are all restricted.”

“Our coach was absolutely out of his head. He must have read Bear Bryant's book. We had 78 players out. The first day 35 quit. Twenty quit the second day. We ended with 17 players. It was depressing.”

“I've caught fish as big as I am. I've caught marlin close to 300 pounds.”

“Nobody cared about swimming. You could draw a crowd for basketball.”

“I was always the last one chosen for football games in Central Park.”