Wayne's Greg Olsen Named A Top-100 NFL Player — Again

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne Hills alumnus Greg Olsen has again been named of the top players in the National Football League.

Olsen was ranked No. 67 on NFL Network’s 2017 Top 100 — a drop from No. 38 last year, but that is most likely a result of the Carolina Panthers' 6-10 record last season. The league's players vote on who goes on the list.

Olsen lead the Panthers in passing yards with 1,073 on 80 catches and three touchdowns. It was his third consecutive season with more than 1,000 receiving yards — something no other tight end in league history has done.

“He’s definitely putting up numbers that they will consider for the Hall of Fame one day,” teammate Captain Munnerlyn told The Charlotte Observer.

The past few seasons definitely seem to bear that out.

Olsen was named a team captain and earned a spot at the Pro-Bowl last year each for the third consecutive time last season. He is a favorite target of quarterback Cam Newton.

He also played in Super Bowl 50.

His generosity off the field is equally, if not more, impressive, than his accomplishments on the field.

Olsen founded Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation in 2009 after his mother was diagnosed with, and survived, breast cancer.

The foundation's Receiving Hope program funds cancer research, support and education initiatives. He also hosts an annual charity kickball game in Chicago in support of the foundation.

In early 2013, Olsen and his wife Kara founded the HEARTest Yard Fund. The family created the foundation after a routine examination of their unborn son, T.J., showed he had a congenital defect. He had four open-heart surgeries before he turned 2.

For his charitable efforts, Olsen was one of three players, along with the Giants' Eli Manning and the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald, to be nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

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Photo by Sgt. Leticia Samuels — public domain