Great Trojan Players: Ronnie Lott and the TNT Assault

When Ronnie Lott played football, a look at a program would list his weight at or around 200 pounds.

Ball carriers tackled by him would protest that the information could not be correct. Based on how it felt, opponents were convinced that the TNT assault Lott launched on opposition ball carriers revealed his weight, based on impact, at or around 1,000 pounds.

If O.J. Simpson was the most physically gifted USC player on the offensive side of the ball, then a strong case could be made that Lott carries the same credentials on the defensive ledger.

Simpson played on one national championship team, the potent 1967 aggregation. Lott assisted the Trojans to a national championship in his 1978 sophomore season. His junior campaign found USC finishing second nationally with an unbeaten record and one tie against Stanford.

Lott’s most brilliant season was his 1980 senior campaign, which brought him to the attention of the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him in the first round.

The Trojan offense that season, despite having Marcus Allen in his junior year, was behind the defense, but was unbeaten until regular quarterback Gordon Adams went out with a season ending injury against Washington, resulting in a loss to the Huskies and crosstown rival UCLA the following week.

Oregon coach Rich Brooks called the 1980 Trojans one of the greatest defensive teams he ever saw, and Lott was its premier performer. During his college and pro career his position would be classified as free safety or cornerback, but here again those forced to compete against Lott would disagree.

As far as the USC and later 49er defenses were concerned, Lott played every position. His instincts on defense at sniffing where the action would emerge was every bit as proficient as that of O.J. Simpson finding those creases of daylight as a running back. Then once he arrived there was hell to pay as his brutal tackling came into play. Lott was not only a hard hitter; his open field tackling was consummate.

Consider the quality level of the defensive backfield of which Lott was a part at Troy. Departing with first round Niner choice Lott after the 1980 season were cornerbacks Jeff Fisher, current Tennessee Titan coach, and Dennis Smith.

Fisher and Smith were also first round picks by the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos respectively. All were starters their rookie seasons. This unique trifecta had never occurred previously and never has since.

Installing order and discipline on the defensive side of the ball enabled Troy to prosper with stars like Heisman Trophy winning tailback Charles White, standout quarterback Paul McDonald, and titanic tackle Anthony Munoz to bring the offense to fruition.

Once Lott reached the NFL, his leadership on defense helped stalwarts such as Joe Montana, Roger Craig, and Dwight Clark to excel on offense. It is no accident that Lott was one of five Forty Niners who played on all of the four Super Bowl teams of the 80s.

Lott doubled as a Hall of Fame entry as a collegian and professional. He was named to the NFL’s 75th anniversary team and the Football Writers Association of America’s 25th anniversary squad encompassing the 1969 to 1994 era.