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New Bears Tight End Enjoys Different Draft Experience Than Grandpa

The family draft celebration was more enjoyable for Sam Roush after going in Round 3 to the Bears than for his grandfather, former Rams player Phil Olsen.
Gene Chamberlain|
Stanford tight end Sam Roush (86) runs after a catch to score a touchdown against Boston College.
Stanford tight end Sam Roush (86) runs after a catch to score a touchdown against Boston College. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The NFL draft has become such a big production and it's sometimes tough for today's draft picks to relate to simpler times when it was taken less seriously by the country.

The postdraft celebrations today by the new NFL families are telecast and go viral when it wasn't always the case or even close.

Bears third-round pick Sam Roush is the grandson of Phil Olsen, who played seven years for the Rams and Broncos. Phil's brother was Merlin Olsen, the late, great member of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" and a longtime NFL announcer who broadcast the Bears' Super Bowl XX victory for NBC. 

Roush heard plenty of stories from the brothers when he was younger and had some emotional moments with his grandfather after being drafted. He related how his grandfather's draft experience with the family was a bit less enjoyable, especially with the phone call from the team. 

"It was a little different," Roush said. "My grandma actually thought he was getting drafted to Viet Nam. It was a lot different back then, a little bit simpler for me." 

Phil was a first-round pick, No. 4 overall in 1970 by the Boston Patriots, selected three picks after Terry Bradshaw was the No. 1 overall pick. Phil played defensive end and defensive tackle in the NFL and then converted to offense for one year and played center.

"He got a call," Roush said. "I think he was at his mom's house. And my grandma, someone told her that he had gotten drafted.  

"She didn't know what that meant. She thought he was going to war. Thankfully he wasn't." 

Once Phil got into the NFL he ended up suffering a knee injury in training camp and didn't play as a rookie, then was traded to the Rams and joined his brother's team. 

The grandfather and grandson got to enjoy Roush being selected by the Bears.  It was a strange pick to many by GM Ryan Poles considering the Bears already have Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, but GM Ryan Poles explained it as the result of coach Ben Johnson's use of two- and three-tight end sets.

"It was awesome," Roush said Saturday at Halas Hall. "Obviously he got drafted 40 or 50 years ago. He was real happy for me and it’s cool. It runs in the family.  

"He’s someone that I’ve gotten a lot of advice from. He knows a thing or two about playing in the league and what it takes. I really respect him and his journey. It helped me through my journey." 

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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