Gold Jacket Spotlight: Ronnie Lott versatile and hard-hitting    

If there is a singular point of agreement among players, coaches and media who observed RONNIE LOTT playing in the NFL, it is that he hit, really hit, on every tackle. 

Ronnie, an All-Pro selection at three positions, and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2000, shines in the Gold Jacket Spotlight this week.

The Associated Press acknowledged Ronnie as a first-team All-Pro playing left cornerback, free safety and strong safety. Ronnie’s adaptability was acclaimed in an NFL Films production, "The Top 100 NFL's Greatest Players 2021" declaring, "Lott made Swiss Army knives jealous of his versatility."

"When the ball is snapped, I feel my responsibility is to get to the ball regardless of where it's at. I want to make the tackle," Ronnie once told Clyde Mizumoto of the Honolulu Advertiser.

Ronnie often fulfilled his desire to make the tackle.

Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round (eighth overall selection) in 1981, Ronnie surpassed the 1,000-career tackle mark in 1993 and recorded five seasons with at least 100 tackles. In 20 playoff games (Ronnie started in each of them), he recorded nine interceptions, 89 tackles, one fumble recovery and two touchdowns.

Then-San Francisco assistant coach Ray Rhodes observed, "He’s a punishing tackler and a good coverage man. He's one guy who wants to win at all costs."

Winning, indeed, occurred during his 10 seasons with the 49ers. Ronnie was part of a dynasty team that won four Super Bowls (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV) within nine seasons.

The "winning at all costs" observation was corroborated when Ronnie decided to have a portion of a finger amputated to permit him to continue playing football and avoid a long recovery from surgery.

"Ronnie’s will to win, his willingness to sacrifice and the overall type of guy he is, is sort of contagious," former collegiate and professional teammate and Hall of Famer MARCUS ALLEN told "Gameday" in 1994. "I think it's imperative to have a guy like Ronnie around on your ball club, because he makes everyone else better."

"I’ve tried to establish myself as a leader, not vocally, but by example," Ronnie told the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Allen later would call Ronnie "a legend of the game."

"Not just a guy who played," Allen said. "He is what the game is all about. Ronnie is the heart and soul of the National Football League."

In 1991, Ronnie became a member of the Los Angeles Raiders and, not surprisingly, made an immediate impression.

"The guy’s probably the best defensive back ever to play the game," declared Raiders receiver and Hall of Famer TIM BROWN. "He’s very intense. Every time Ronnie steps onto the field, he’s ready to play football. That's just the way he is."

"In practice," Brown continued, "he doesn't laugh or joke around. He wants to go out and play the game. You bump into him in practice, he's not going to help you up. So, you just try to stay out of his way and let him do what he has to do out there and then enjoy watching him play on Sundays."

Playing on numerous Sundays, and other days, Ronnie appeared in 192 NFL games and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls.

Near the end of Ronnie’s playing career, future Hall of Fame coach BILL PARCELLS said, "That guy's going to Canton on roller skates. He's one of the best guys that ever played. You're talking about one of my very favorite players ever. He's a player I not only admired personally but have a tremendous respect for, as much as I ever respected a player in football. I think he epitomizes what a defensive player should be. He's affected every team he's been on."