The NFL uniform number 42 is one of the most renowned numbers in professional football history. The pick for the greatest NFL athlete to ever wear the uniform number 42 could have gone to one of four Hall of Famers who wore 42 as their primary uniform number. Those four men are: Ronnie Lott, Sid Luckman, Charley Taylor and Paul Warfield. Forced to choose, we pick Ronnie Lott as the best NFL athlete to ever wear uniform number 42.
Ronnie was selected in the 1981 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers out of USC, with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Ronnie's career in the NFL started off with a bang, as he started sixteen games for the 49ers at cornerback, eventually finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting to future Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. That rookie year, Lott recorded seven interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Lott would play four full seasons at cornerback before switching to free saftey during his fifth year in the NFL (1985). Lott would play 14 seasons in the NFL; 10 with the 49ers, 2 with the Jets and 2 with the Raiders. For his career he had 63 interceptions returned for 730 yards and five touchdowns. He made an impressive 1,113 career tackles.
- 10 time Pro Bowler
- 9 time All Pro
- 4 time Super Bowl Champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
- Twice led NFL in interceptions (1986 and 1991)
- Number 23 on The Sporting News' List of 100 Greatest NFL Players in 1999
Lott was known for his ferocious hitting and hard-nosed style of play in the NFL.
Did you know.......Lott's uniform number 42 is retired by the 49ers?
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