On the football field, Ronnie Lott was one of the most feared players in NFL history.
But off the field, it was a different story, Ronnie's daughter Hailey said in a new documentary titled Ronnie Lott: A Football Life.
"To most of the world, I think people see my dad as a heavy-hitter, a tough guy," Hailey Lott said. "I think most people see him as intimidating, maybe as a little mean, a little scary, and that's just not how I see him. I really wasn't that involved in his career and I think it was almost a way for him to respect our family, is leaving work at work."
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To commemorate the 100th year of the NFL, the league is revealing its top 100 Game Changers, and the former 49ers defensive back came in at No. 86 on the list.
Taken with the No. 8 overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft, Lott brought an intensity that helped the 49ers beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI in his rookie year.
“I brought an attitude that maybe the Niners didn’t have," Lott said.
Marcus Allen, Dwight Hicks, Eddie DeBartolo, Charles Haley, Jon Gruden and Anthony Lynn were among the NFL luminaries that were interviewed for the documentary.
San Francisco 49ers
Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson formed a friendship with Lott, and the former Lakers star spoke about why the two elite athletes latched on to each other.
“We both admired each other," Johnson said. "We both watched each other play ... You know you really don’t enjoy winning because you don’t have time to enjoy it because you want to do it again."
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Ronnie Lott: A Football Life debuts at 7 p.m. PT Friday, Nov. 1 on NFL Network.