Ronnie Lott was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round (8th overall pick) of the 1981 NFL Draft. 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.

In his 10 years with the 49ers, Lott helped them win eight division titles and four Super Bowls: XVI (1981 season), XIX (1984), XXIII (1988), and XXIV (1989).

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. 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, 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.