Ronnie Lott
Encyclopedia
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 crushing hits on opposing players. Noted for his toughness and a Pro Bowl
er at cornerback and both safety positions, Lott is widely considered one of the best defensive back
s in NFL history. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2000, his first year of elibigility.
in Rialto, California
, where he played football under Coach Bill Christopher and graduated in 1977. He considered his time at Eisenhower High School the best years of his life. It is commonly thought that he was the best player on his team, he started as a wide receiver in 1975 as a sophomore, started at wide receiver and safety in 1976 as a junior, and in 1977 he started at quarterback and safety. The football stadium was recently named after Lott, even though he never played in the stadium. Lott was also the winner of the Ken Hubbs Award, given to the greater San Bernardino, California area's top male high school athlete.
in 1981 with a degree in public administration
. During his years 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. In 2002, he was inducted as one of 15 new members (I-A class) of the College Football Hall of Fame
. He was also a 1995 inductee to the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.
Upon entering USC Lott, and fellow 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. He was also supposedly one of the reasons that USC teammate Riki Ellison
got into the NFL after he and Jerry Attaway (their USC conditioning coach) convinced Bill Walsh to take a chance on him.
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 touchdown
s. 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 by tackling running back Timmy Newsome
. 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 fumble
s, and two quarterback sack
s. In his 10 years with the 49ers, Lott helped them win eight division titles and four Super Bowl
s: XVI
(1981 season), XIX
(1984), XXIII
(1988), and XXIV
(1989). He is one of five players that were on all four 1980s 49er Super Bowl wins. The other four are quarterback Joe Montana
, linebacker Keena Turner
, cornerback Eric Wright, and wide receiver 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 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. 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. Beyond statistics, 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.
in 1996 and 1997, and working on the network's game coverage in 1998.
. He now lives in Cupertino, California
, with his wife, Karen, and his children, Hailey, Isaiah, and Chloe. The USA Today
praised him as "one of the most successful athletes at making the transition to business." He now manages $2.4 billion in private-equity investments and owns both Toyota and Mercedes-Benz
car dealerships. He also opened World Sports Cafe in Fresno, California. He also 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
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who starred as a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, free safety, and strong safety in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players. Noted for his toughness and a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er at cornerback and both safety positions, Lott is widely considered one of the best defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
s in NFL history. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2000, his first year of elibigility.
High school
Lott attended Frisbie Junior High and Eisenhower High SchoolEisenhower High School (Rialto, California)
Dwight D. Eisenhower High School , is located in Rialto, California, United States on the corner of Baseline Avenue and Lilac Ave. The school is named for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower....
in Rialto, California
Rialto, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Rialto had a population of 99,171. The population density was 4,434.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Rialto was 43,592 White, 16,236 African American, 1,062 Native American, 2,258 Asian, 361 Pacific Islander, 30,993 from other...
, where he played football under Coach Bill Christopher and graduated in 1977. He considered his time at Eisenhower High School the best years of his life. It is commonly thought that he was the best player on his team, he started as a wide receiver in 1975 as a sophomore, started at wide receiver and safety in 1976 as a junior, and in 1977 he started at quarterback and safety. The football stadium was recently named after Lott, even though he never played in the stadium. Lott was also the winner of the Ken Hubbs Award, given to the greater San Bernardino, California area's top male high school athlete.
College
Lott graduated from the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1981 with a degree in public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
. During his years 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
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
. Lott was a unanimous All-American and team captain in 1980. In 2002, he was inducted as one of 15 new members (I-A class) of the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. He was also a 1995 inductee to the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.
Upon entering USC Lott, and fellow teammate and future NFL star Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
, were both considered for the tailback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and safety positions. After much consideration, head coach John Robinson asked Lott to play defense because he was a better tackler than Allen. He was also supposedly one of the reasons that USC teammate Riki Ellison
Riki Ellison
Riki Morgan Ellison is a former linebacker, who went by Riki Gray while in college at USC as an All Pac 10 player in 1982.-College career:...
got into the NFL after he and Jerry Attaway (their USC conditioning coach) convinced Bill Walsh to take a chance on him.
Professional
After college, Lott was drafted by the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the first round (8th overall pick) of the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
. 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
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
. In his first season, he recorded seven interceptions, helped the 49ers to win Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
, and also became only the second rookie in NFL history to return three interceptions for touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. His outstanding play resulted in his finishing second for Rookie of the Year honors, behind New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
.
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 by tackling running back Timmy Newsome
Timmy Newsome
Timothy Arthur Newsome is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1980 to 1988.-Early days:...
. A 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
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 fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, and two quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s. In his 10 years with the 49ers, Lott helped them win eight division titles and four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s: XVI
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
(1981 season), XIX
Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game played on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1984 regular season...
(1984), XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1988 regular season. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held...
(1988), and XXIV
Super Bowl XXIV
Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game played on January 28, 1990 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1989 regular season...
(1989). He is one of five players that were on all four 1980s 49er Super Bowl wins. The other four are quarterback Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, linebacker Keena Turner
Keena Turner
Keena Turner , is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1980 NFL Draft and traded on draft day to the San Francisco 49ers. A 6'2" 237 pound linebacker from Purdue University, Turner played in 11 NFL seasons and spent his entire...
, cornerback Eric Wright, and wide receiver Mike Wilson
Mike Wilson (wide receiver)
Michael Ruben Wilson is a former professional American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1981 to 1990. He played football collegiately at Washington State University and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 9th round of the 1981 NFL Draft...
.
After his career with San Francisco, Lott signed as a free agent in 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
with the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and in 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
with the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. 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
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, but was injured in the preseason. He returned to the 49ers in 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, 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
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2000, his first year of eligibility, and was also named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team.
In 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. 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. Beyond statistics, 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.
Broadcasting career
Lott turned to broadcasting following his retirement, serving as an analyst on Fox NFL SundayFOX NFL Sunday
Fox NFL Sunday is the pregame show for the TV show NFL on Fox. The program is broadcast on Fox television affiliates nationwide. The audio portion of the show is broadcast over the Fox Sports Radio network, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks...
in 1996 and 1997, and working on the network's game coverage in 1998.
Personal life
Lott was born in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. He now lives in Cupertino, California
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
, with his wife, Karen, and his children, Hailey, Isaiah, and Chloe. The USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
praised him as "one of the most successful athletes at making the transition to business." He now manages $2.4 billion in private-equity investments and owns both Toyota and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
car dealerships. He also opened World Sports Cafe in Fresno, California. He also advises professional athletes who are making a transition to the business world. Lott is also the father of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
linebacker Ryan Nece
Ryan Nece
Ryan Clint Nece is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- USA Today Q&A
- Chad Cota & Ronnie Lott Charity Golf Tournament
- Ronnie Lott Profile at USC Legends.
- All Stars Helping Kids.org Ronnie Lott, Founder
- Ronnie Lott
- Hard-hitting style
- Facebook Fan Page