Ronnie Lott

Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his hard hits on opposing players, rivaling fellow safeties Steve Atwater and Jack Tatum as the hardest hitter of all time. Lott is widely considered the best secondary player in NFL history as he was a Pro Bowler at both cornerback and safety.

Early life

Ronnie Lott was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 8, 1959. His family moved frequently when he was a child. Lott moved from Albuquerque to Washington D.C. and later to Rialto, California. As a child, Ronnie was highly involved in community football programs. He attended Eisenhower High School, and graduated from there in 1978.

College career

Lott graduated from the University of Southern California in 1981 with a degree in public administration. During his years of play as a safety at USC (1977-1980), he helped the team to a share of the 1978 national championship and played in the 1979 and 1980 Rose Bowls. Lott was a unanimous All-American and team captain in 1980. He was inducted in 2002 as one of 15 new members (I-A class) of the College Football Hall of Fame, and was also a 1995 inductee to the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.

Upon entering college from Rialto Eisenhower High School, Lott and Marcus Allen were both considered for tailback and safety. Coach John Robinson after much consideration asked Lott to play defence because he was a better tackler than Allen.

While being interviewed by Byron Allen he said that he and Marcus Allen would not have graduated from college without cheating with the help of Byron Allen.[1]

Professional career

After college, Lott was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1st round (8th overall pick) of the 1981 NFL draft. The level of skill demonstrated by the 6-foot, 203-pound standout was instantly recognized, and from the very beginning of training camp he had the job as the 49ers' starting left cornerback. In his first season, he recorded 7 interceptions, helped the 49ers to win Super Bowl XVI, and also became only the second rookie in NFL history to return three interceptions for touchdowns. His outstanding play resulted in his finishing second for Rookie of the Year honors, behind New York Giants' Linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

He switched to the safety position in 1985. A 1986 injury sidelined him for the season's last two games, but he still led the league with a career-best 10 interceptions while recording 77 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two quarterback sacks. In his 10 years with the 49ers, he helped them to win 8 division titles and 4 Super Bowls: XVI (1981 season), XIX (1984), XXIII (1988), and XXIV (1989). He is one of the few players to play for the 49ers on all four of their Super Bowl wins during the 1980's.

After his career with San Francisco, he signed as a free agent in 1991 with the Los Angeles Raiders, and in 1993 with the New York Jets. In 1991 he led the league in interceptions(8) for a second time. He returned to the 49ers in 1995, but the injuries he had suffered over the previous four seasons continued to plague him, and he announced his retirement before the season began. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, his first year of eligibility, and was also named to the NFL's 75th anniversary team.

In his 14 seasons, Lott recorded 8.5 sacks and 63 interceptions, which he returned for 730 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also recovered 17 fumbles, returned them for 43 yards, and gained 113 yards on kickoff returns.

Lott also played in 20 postseason games, recording nine interceptions, 89 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two touchdowns.

Personal

His son, Ryan Nece, is a linebacker that plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sean Taylor who plays for the Washington Redskins is also his 2nd cousin.

Other facts

• 10-time Pro Bowl selection (1981-84, 1986-91)
• High school - Eisenhower (Rialto, California)
• The 49ers retired his uniform number 42 in 2003
• The Lott Trophy, recognizing college football's defensive impact player, is named in his honor.
• He had the tip of his left pinky finger amputated late in the 1985 season so he wouldn't risk injuring it in the future and miss more football games.
• His devastating hit against Ickey Woods was one of the early turning points of Super Bowl XXIII.
• He is one of the few players to receive the award of 'All Pro' at three different positions (FS, SS, CB)
• In 1999, he was ranked number 23 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. This makes him the highest-ranked safety, the second-ranked defensive back behind Night Train Lane, and the highest-ranked player to have played for the New York Jets, but only the third-ranked player to have played for the 49ers, behind Jerry Rice and Joe Montana.
• Quoted as saying that Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams is his favorite player to watch.

See also

• Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• College Football News - Ronnie Lott
• The emotional leader: 'a true, true warrior' NFL.com
• Chad Cota & Ronnie Lott Charity Golf Tournament
• Ronnie Lott Profile at USC Legends.