Mark Olson enters his 27th NFL season and ninth with the Lions after joining the club in 2016. He has spent time as a regional scout as well as a national scout for Detroit.
Before the Lions, Olson spent 18 seasons as a member of the Atlanta Falcons' personnel department, including the last three as a national scout where he was responsible for cross-checking the entire country. Before his time as Atlanta's national scout, Olson served in a variety of roles with the Falcons, including western regional college scout and pro scout. As a pro scout, Olson was responsible for advanced scouting as well as evaluating players and assisting Atlanta with preparation for free agent acquisitions.
Olson originally joined the Falcons as a scouting assistant in 1998. His experience includes stints with the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, and Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. A native of Hudson, Wis., Olson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in journalism and later earned his master's degree in sports management from the University of Minnesota in 1997 where he also worked in the recruiting department. He and his wife, Sehba, reside in Park City, Utah.
