Merrill Douglas obit

Merrill George Douglas

March 15, 1936 ~ March 1, 2025 (age 88) 

He was not on the list.

He was born on March 15, 1936, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Walter Griffith Douglas and Gladys Irene Rupp Douglas.

He married Anita Perry on December 22, 1958.

Merrill Douglas made his mark in football as both a player and as an official. He played football at Granite and Olympus High Schools, earning all-state fullback honors in his junior and senior seasons. That earned him a chance to play college football at the University of Utah, where he was All-Conference his junior and senior years and the conference scoring leader in 1957. Those efforts earned him the right to play in the East-West Shrine Game in 1957. From there, he played professional football for five years with the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. After his playing career, Douglas was a long-time NFL referee. Merrill was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Merrill also served as a Salt Lake County Sheriff after his NFL football career until his retirement.

Douglas was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round (65th overall) of the 1958 NFL draft. He was a backup fullback behind Rick Casares. He was released in 1961.

On September 7, 1961, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys and played in six games. On April 22, 1962, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for offensive tackle Ed Nutting.

Douglas attended Granite High School, before transferring to Olympus High School. He received All-state honors at fullback twice. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Utah.

As a junior for the Utes, he became a starter and had 83 carries for 504 yards (second on the team), with a 6.1-yard average and 7 touchdowns. As a senior, he posted 97 carries for 646 yards (second in the league), with a 6.7-yard average and 10 touchdowns, while also leading the conference in scoring. He also lettered in baseball.

In 1988, he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his Wife – Anita Perry Douglas.   Brother – Wally (Suzie) Douglas   Children – Scott Douglas, Maria (Troy) Cude, Rick Douglas, and Derik Douglas.   Grandchildren – Whitney (Craig) Harris, Natalie (Aaron) Drewery, Joshua (Brooke) Cude, Aubrey (Colby) Siddoway, and Ashley (Kash) Johnson and 15 great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by Siblings – Donna Spanton, Lola Harper, Sonny Douglas,  Granddaughter – Primrose Drewery.

A celebration of Life will be held on March 29, 2025, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 10885 Pampus Drive (831 E), Sandy, Utah.

Career history

Chicago Bears (1958–1960)

Dallas Cowboys (1961)

Cleveland Browns (1962)*

Philadelphia Eagles (1962)

New York Jets (1963)*

 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Career highlights and awards

2× All-Skyline (1956, 1957)