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 fourteen seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. 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 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 cornerbacks in NFL history.

Playing career

High school

Lott was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He 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 1977 Ken Hubbs Award, given to the greater San Bernardino, California area's top male high school athlete.