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Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott (born May 8, 1959) 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. A Pro Bowler at both cornerback and safety, Lott is widely considered one of the best defensive backs in NFL history.
Ronnie Lott was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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 in Rialto, and graduated in 1977.
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 USC, Lott and teammate and future NFL star Marcus Allen were both considered for the tailback and safety positions. After much consideration, head coach John Robinson asked Lott to play defense 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.
After college, Lott was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first 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 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. 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 ten years with the 49ers, he helped them to win eight division titles and four Super Bowls: XVI (1981 season), XIX (1984), XXIII (1988), and XXIV (1989). He is one of five players to play for the 49ers on all four of their Super Bowl wins during the 1980's. The other four are QB Joe Montana, S Ronnie Lott, CB Eric Wright, and WR Mike Wilson.
After his career with San Francisco, Lott 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. In 1995 Lott signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was injured in the preseason. 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 five touchdowns. He 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. He was also named All-Pro eight times, All-NFC six times, and All-AFC once.
Lott turned to broadcasting following his retirement, serving as an analyst on Fox NFL Sunday in 1996-97 and working on that network's game coverage in 1998.
Lott's son, Ryan Nece, is a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sean Taylor who plays for the Washington Redskins is Lott's second cousin.
