Ronnie Lott

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Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott and Jim Plunkett (CrashCouse Launch PSA) (cropped)Lott.png
Lott in 2018
No. 42
Positions Cornerback
Safety
Personal information
Born (1959-05-08) May 8, 1959 (age 66)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school Eisenhower (Rialto, California)
College USC (1977–1980)
NFL draft 1981: 1st round, 8th overall pick
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
NFL record
  • Most interceptions returned for touchdown in a season by a rookie: 3 (1981; tied) [a]
Career NFL statistics
Tackles 1,146
Interceptions 63
Int. return yards730
Forced fumbles 16
Fumble recoveries17
Touchdowns 5
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Ronald Mandel Lott (born May 8, 1959) is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons from 1981 to 1994.

Contents

Lott played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and was honored as a consensus All-American. A first-round pick in the 1981 NFL draft, he played for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. Lott was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2023, [1] and is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time at the safety position in NFL history. [2] [3]

Early life

Ronald Mandel Lott was born on May 8, 1959, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended Eisenhower High School in Rialto, California. While in high school, Lott played football, baseball, basketball, and wrestled. [4] [5]

College career

Lott played for USC from 1977 to 1980. After lettering in limited time as a freshman in 1977, Lott made the starting lineup in 1978 and recorded three interceptions, assisting the team to a 12–1 record and splitting the national championship with Alabama in 1978. The 1979 season saw more success for USC. Lott recorded three interceptions again as a key member of an elite secondary that included future NFL players Jeff Fisher, Dennis Smith, and Joey Browner. Along with an offense that included all American quarterback Paul McDonald, Heisman winner Charles White, future Heisman winner Marcus Allen, and four future NFL first round picks in the offensive line, he helped USC finish with a 11–0–1 record and a #2 ranking in both polls. As a senior, Lott led the nation in interceptions (8) and return yards (166), [6] earning himself unanimous All-American honors as the team went 8–2–1 with a final ranking of #11 while the team served a one-year NCAA probation. [7]

Lott even played in six games for the 1979–80 USC basketball team under coach Stan Morrison. [8]

In 1999, Sports Illustrated included Lott on its All-Century Team for college football. [9]

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers (first stint)

Lott was selected in the first round (8th overall) of the 1981 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. [10] 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 rookie season in 1981, he recorded seven 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.

Lott switched to the safety position in 1985. He had the tip of his left pinky finger amputated after the 1985 season when it was crushed while tackling running back Timmy Newsome, and a bone graft surgery would not have allowed Lott to start the 1986 season. [11] While he told doctors to amputate the tip of his pinky, years later, Lott regretted having the procedure done, saying that he should have just had an operation to fix his finger. An injury sidelined Lott for the season's last two games in 1986, 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 seasons with the 49ers, Lott helped them win eight division titles and four Super Bowls: XVI (1981 season), XIX (1984), XXIII (1988), and XXIV (1989). He is one of five players that were on all four 1980s 49ers Super Bowl wins. The other four are quarterback Joe Montana, linebacker Keena Turner, cornerback Eric Wright, and wide receiver Mike Wilson. [12]

Los Angeles Raiders

After his career with San Francisco, Lott signed as a free agent in 1991 with the Los Angeles Raiders. That season, he led the league in interceptions (8) for a second time. [13]

New York Jets

Lott signed in 1993 with the New York Jets.

San Francisco 49ers (second stint)

Lott returned to the 49ers in 1995, but the injuries he had suffered over the previous four seasons continued to plague him, and Lott announced his retirement before the season began.

Lott 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 1994 and the 100th Anniversary Team in 2019.

Player profile

In his 14 NFL seasons, Lott recorded 8.5 sacks and 63 interceptions, which he returned for 730 yards and five touchdowns. Lott 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, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two touchdowns. He was named All-Pro eight times, All-NFC six times, and All-AFC once. Lott had an uncanny awareness of how a play was developing, which allowed him to break up passes and earn a reputation as one of the hardest and most efficient open-field tacklers in the history of the league.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
BoldCareer-high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckPDIntYdsAvgLngTDFFFRYdsTD
1981 SF 161689——0.0—711716.741T30200
1982 SF 9968——0.0—29547.583T11000
1983 SF 1514108——1.0—4225.52200100
1984 SF 121151——1.0—4266.51500000
1985 SF 1616104——1.5—66811.32501200
1986 SF 141477——2.0—1013413.457T13000
1987 SF 121255——0.0—56212.434002330
1988 SF 131274——0.0—55911.84403430
1989 SF 111142——0.0—5346.82800000
1990 SF 111153——0.0—3268.61500130
1991 LA 161693——1.0—8526.52701140
1992 LA 1616103——0.0—100.0001100
1993 NYJ 1616123——1.0—33511.62904200
1994 NYJ 151510673331.0——————2100
Career [14] 1921891,1461,113338.5—6373011.68351617430

Postseason

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckPDIntYdsAvgLngTDFFFRYdsTD
1981 SF 333——0.0—23216.02010000
1983 SF 220——0.0—100.0000000
1984 SF 331——0.0—13838.03800000
1985 SF 110——0.0—000.0000000
1986 SF 110——0.0—000.0000000
1987 SF 110——0.0—000.0000000
1988 SF 334——0.0—2105.0501100
1989 SF 331——0.0—27236.05810000
1990 SF 220——0.0—000.0000000
1991 LA 110——0.0—13535.03500000
Career [15] 20209——0.0—918720.85821100

Highlights and Awards

Career highlights

NFL records

49ers franchise records

Broadcasting career

Lott turned to broadcasting following his retirement, serving as an analyst on Fox NFL Sunday in 1996 and 1997, and working on the network's game coverage in 1998. He is currently[ when? ] on a show called PAC-12 Playbook on the Pac-12 Network, an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network. He also serves on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service. [19]

Personal life

Lott was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His father served a career in the United States Air Force, retiring as a Senior master sergeant. [20] Lott now lives in Cupertino, California, with his wife, Karen, and three children: Hailey, Isaiah, and Chloe. USA Today praised Lott as "one of the most successful athletes at making the transition to business." Along with former teammates Harris Barton and Joe Montana, Lott was a managing partner and a founder of HRJ Capital. Lott owns Toyota and Hyundai car dealerships. He advises professional athletes who are making a transition to the business world. Lott is also the father of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Ryan Nece.

In 1991, Lott, along with Jill Lieber Steeg, wrote an autobiography, Total Impact. [21] Lott inspired the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is given annually by the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. The trophy was first awarded in 2004. [22] Lott was the guest of honor at a CYO fundraiser at Sharon Heights Country Club in Menlo Park, CA in May 2012 where he discussed the importance of helping the community. He credits the late Coach Ben Parks as a central figure in the development of his vigorous philanthropic work. On February 17, 2015, Lott was appointed to the Board of Directors of GSV Capital Corporation, now known as SuRo Capital Corp., a publicly traded investment fund. [23]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Dr. Robert M. Goldman (March 15, 2023). "2023 International Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Full Program) Official Footage". YouTube . Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  2. ↑ Phillips, Roger (November 6, 2003). "49ers announce plan to retire Lott's No. 42". Oakland Tribune . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  3. ↑ Freeman, Mike (January 30, 2000). "Montana And Lott Lead Way Into Hall". New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  4. ↑ Donahue, Ben. (September 30, 2021). The Life And Career Of Ronnie Lott (Complete Story). Pro Football History. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  5. ↑ Abbott, Gary. (September 5, 2013). USAW announces inaugural All-Time NFL Honor Roll Archived June 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine . InterMat. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  6. ↑ "1980 College Football Leaders". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  7. ↑ Ronnie Lott Sports Reference
  8. ↑ Zemek, Matt. "USC snapshots: Ronnie Lott, Anthony Munoz played multiple USC sports". Trojans Wire. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  9. ↑ Maisel, Ivan (August 16, 1999). "Team of the Century". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 91, no. 6.
  10. ↑ "1981 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ Klemko, Robert (June 17, 2014). "Ronnie Lott's Amputated Pinkie Finger". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on August 15, 2022.
  12. ↑ Lieber, Jill (January 29, 1990). "The Fab 5". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  13. ↑ "1991 NFL Defense". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Ronnie Lott Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Ronnie Lott Playoffs Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  16. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers Single Season Defensive Leaders | The Football Database". FootballDB.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers Career Defensive Leaders | The Football Database". FootballDB.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ "San Francisco 49ers Career Defensive Leaders | The Football Database". FootballDB.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ Lieber, Jill (January 23, 1989). "Hitter With Heart". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  21. ↑ Lott, Ronnie; Lieber, Jill (1991). Total Impact. Doubleday. p. 301. ISBN   0-385-42055-2.
  22. ↑ "Home". lottimpacttrophy.com.
  23. ↑ "GSV Capital Corp". quotes.wsj.com. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
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