'Little House on the Prairie's' Merlin Olsen dies at 69 of mesothelioma

NFL Hall of Famer and actor of "Little House on the Prairie" fame, Merlin Olsen, has died at his Utah home of cancer. He was 69.

Olsen had undergone several rounds of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009.

When Olsen's former "Little House" co-star, Melissa Gilbert (@MelissaEGilbert) heard of his death, she tweeted:

"Just heard about the passing of Merlin Olsen. I an so sad. My heart go out to his dear family. He was one of the sweetest, kindest, men I have ever known. The personification of the Gentle Giant. Forever now, a guardian angel."

Before Olsen graced the small screen as the likeable Jonathan Garvey in "Little House" and later in "Father Murphy," he was known more for striking fear in his opponents on the football field. The original "Fearsome Foursome" -- including Olsen, Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy -- were responsible for helping popularize defensive football in the mid-1960's (before the late '50s, the stars of the game pretty much all played offense). Olsen played with panache and the camera loved him even then.

Olsen retired in 1976 from the Los Angeles Rams after 15 years, where he joined Dick Enberg as a sportscaster for college and NFL games.

The football star transitioned to Hollywood in 1977 when he joined the cast of "Little House on the Prairie." After four years as Michael Landon's sidekick on the show, Olsen took the lead role in the Landon-created "Father Murphy."

Last year, Olsen sued various paint and manufacturing companies as well as NBC and 20th Century Fox, claiming they exposed him to asbestos, which is known to be the primary source of mesothelioma. The law suit was pending at the time of his death.

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