Ronnie Lott Ronald Mandel " Ronnie " Lott ( born May 8 , 1959 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback , free safety , and strong safety in the National Football League ( NFL ) for fifteen seasons during the 1980s and 1990s . Lott played college football for the University of Southern California , and was honored as a consensus All - American . A first - round pick in the 1981 NFL Draft , he played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers , Los Angeles Raiders , New York Jets , and Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL . Lott was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 , and is widely considered one of the best defensive back s in NFL history . Football career . High school . Born in Albuquerque , New Mexico , Lott attended Frisbie Junior High and Eisenhower High School 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 . College . Lott graduated from the University of Southern California 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 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 . Professional . 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 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 , and a bone graft surgery wouldn ' t have him ready in time for the 1986 season . 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 . 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 on a show called PAC - 12 Playbook on the PAC - 12 television network . He also serves on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service . 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 . 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 . " Along with former teammates Harris Barton and Joe Montana , Lott was a managing partner and a founder of HRJ Capital . Lott also owns both Toyota and Mercedes - Benz car dealerships , and 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 . In 1991 , Lott , along with Jill Lieber , wrote Lott ' s autobiography , " Total Impact " . 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 2011 winner was Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly . 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 . Lott credits the late Coach Ben Parks as a central figure in the development of his vigorous philanthropic work .