USU Legend Phil Olsen on 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

USU Legend Phil Olsen on 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

LOGAN, Utah-Monday, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame announced the names on the 2019 ballot for induction into the Hall of Fame and a former Utah State Aggies legend is on the list.

Former Utah State defensive end Phil Olsen is one of 76 players, along with six coaches from NCAA FBS (Division I-A) to be nominated.

Furthermore, 100 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks made the ballot.

Olsen lettered for the Aggies from 1967-1969, becoming a 1969 consensus first-team All-American. During his three years in the program, Utah State went 17-12-1 and amassed two wins apiece against hated rivals Utah and BYU.

In 1969, Olsen was a team captain, team MVP and the Utah State athlete of the year. He was also selected to play in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl.

In Olsen’s junior season, the Aggies went 7-3 and blanked Wisconsin 20-0, commemorating the only time in program history that USU vanquished a Big Ten conference foe.

Olsen is also a 1985 inductee of the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, USU’s All-Century football team and Utah State’s Hall of Fame, being enshrined in Logan in 1994.

In 2000, Olsen was selected by Sports Illustrated as one of the State of Utah’s Top 50 athletes of the century.

Following his senior season, Olsen was drafted with the #4 overall selection in the 1970 draft by the Boston Patriots.

He then went on to play six seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams (1971-74) and Denver Broncos (1975-76), amassing 20 starts and three fumble returns.

Three former Aggies are in the College Football Hall of Fame, Phil’s brother, the late Merlin Olsen, E.L., “Dick” Romney and John Ralston.

The announcement of the 2019 class will be made Monday January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, Calif. prior to the national championship game at Levi’s Stadium.