USC's best: Ronnie Lott became a dynastic champion and all-time great

SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic asked the question on social media earlier this month (May of 2026): Who is the best football player USC has ever produced? If you were to come up with a short list of legitimate candidates, Ronnie Lott has to be on that list. Is he No. 1? That's the tough debate. Is Lott in the middle of the conversation? Without question. He has to be considered.

What makes Ronnie Lott a true contender for best USC football player ever? It begins with the championships. Lott won a national title and multiple Rose Bowls at USC. The Trojans finished No. 2 in the 1979 season with Lott on the roster. Then Lott won the Super Bowl as an NFL rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, making an immediate impact for a team which would dominate the 1980s. Lott won four Super Bowls with the Niners, an affirmation of both his greatness and his enormous value to an NFL dynasty.

In addition to the trophies, Ronnie Lott played the safety position as well as anyone ever has. Technique, football IQ, speed, toughness, and fearlessness all came together in the perfect package. Lott could deliver a ferocious hit with the best of them, but the bigger realization about him is that he was in the right position to deliver the hit and make an impactful play in an important situation. Lott didn't get caught out of position -- not often, and not conspicuous enough to remember in any big game.

It is easy to remember Joe Montana to Jerry Rice on the 1980s 49ers, but the San Francisco defense played really well in big games against the Cincinnati Bengals (Super Bowls XVI and XXIII), Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins (Super Bowl XIX), John Elway (Super Bowl XXIV), and in numerous NFC Championship Games. The Niners didn't win those playoff games or Super Bowls with 38-35 scores. The San Francisco defense, led by Lott, put the clamps on elite offenses.