10 greatest San Francisco 49ers of all time

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana (16) of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the 49ers 36-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the 1987 NFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 9, 1988 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Arthur Anderson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA-CIRCA 1989: Ronnie Lott of the San Francisco 49ers takes a break on the sidelines at Candlestick Park circa 1989 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /

3. DB Ronnie Lott

Giving someone the finger is basically not a very nice thing to do. Giving up your fingertip in order to continue playing in a football game makes for quite a story. And that symbolizes Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott, the eighth overall pick in the 1981 NFL draft out of Southern Cal by the San Francisco 49ers.

He was part of a fabulous 1981 draft choice class by the organization and head coach bill Walsh, that year they also added cornerback Eric Wright and safety Carlton Williamson in the second- and third-round, respectively. Led by that young defensive backfield, quarterback Joe Montana and the mastery of Walsh, the club finished 13-3 after a 6-10 mark the previous year. It would eventually add up to a win in Super Bowl XVI over the Cincinnati Bengals in Pontiac Michigan.

Lott was a member of all four Super Bowl clubs in the 1980s, all resulting in championships. He spent 10 years with the franchise, the first five at cornerback and the final five at safety. He would go on to play four more seasons, two each with the Raiders.

Lott’s 63 career interceptions (51 with the 49ers) is tied for eighth in NFL history. He also picked off nine passes in the postseason (8 with the 49ers), tied for the most in NFL annals. And his physical approach to the game was second to none.