Ronnie Lott
Hall of Fame safety known for his hard hits and ball-hawking skills, a key part of four 49ers Super Bowl championships.
via Wikipedia: Ronnie Lott · see source
Ronald Mandel Lott (born May 8, 1959) is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, and was honored as a consensus All-American. He was drafted in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Lott was also a member of the Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2023, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time at the safety position in NFL history.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Cornerback, safety
- Born
- 8 May 1959
- Birthplace
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
- Draft year
- 1981
- Draft round
- 1
- Draft pick
- 8
- High school
- Eisenhower (Rialto, California)
- College
- USC (1977–1980)
Lore & Background
Lott played at the University of Southern California from 1977 to 1980. He helped USC split the national championship with Alabama in 1978. As a senior, he led the nation in interceptions (8) and return yards (166), earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected 8th overall in the 1981 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. As a rookie, he recorded seven interceptions, helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XVI, and returned one interception for a touchdown. He switched to safety in 1985. In his 10 seasons with the 49ers, he helped them win eight division titles and four Super Bowls: XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV. He was a key member of all four championship teams. He later played for the Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets, retiring after the 1994 season.
Reader's Guide
During his 14 NFL seasons, Lott recorded 8.5 sacks and 63 interceptions, which he returned for 730 yards and five touchdowns. He recovered 17 fumbles, returned them for 43 yards, and gained 113 yards on kickoff returns. He played in 20 postseason games, recording nine interceptions, 89 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two touchdowns. He was named All-Pro eight times, All-NFC six times, and All-AFC once. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, his first year of eligibility, and was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team in 1994 and the 100th Anniversary Team in 2019.
Did You Know?
- Lott had the tip of his left pinky finger amputated after the 1985 season when it was crushed while tackling Timmy Newsome.
- He led the NFL in interceptions in 1986 (10) and 1991 (8).
- Lott was a key part of all four of the 49ers' Super Bowl wins in the 1980s (XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV).
- He wrote an autobiography titled Total Impact in 1991 with Jill Lieber Steeg.
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