Los Angeles Rams
Still later, Rosey Grier was acquired from the New York Giants in 1963 to join Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones as the Los Angeles Rams starting defensive line. They also became known as the Fearsome Foursome, and the greater publicity garnered by the NFL leads many to assume they were the originals. Dick Butkus called them "the most dominant line in football history." They gained fame as the Rams went from a perennial second division, under .500 team to a NFL powerhouse under coach George Allen. Roger Brown replaced Grier in 1967, and Diron Talbert replaced Brown in 1970. Also in 1970 Coy Bacon replaced Lamar Lundy.
The line was ultimately broken up when George Allen became coach of the Washington Redskins in 1971; Talbert and Jones followed Allen via trades in 1972 and Bacon left in 1973. After missing the playoffs from 1970–72, the Rams then won 7 straight division titles from 1973 to 1979, and were led in part by The New Fearsome Foursome.
This line consisted of ends Jack Youngblood and Fred Dryer, and tackles Merlin Olsen and Larry Brooks. Youngblood and Olsen are NFL hall of famers while Brooks made the Pro Bowl 5 times. Dryer also made the Pro Bowl once, and set an NFL record with 2 safeties in one game vs. the Packers. Olsen retired after a 15 year career at the end of the 1976 season, and he was replaced for one year by his younger brother Phil Olsen and then by Mike Fanning.
The line was documented in NFL Network's A Football Life.
Read more about this topic: Fearsome Foursome (American Football)
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