Ronnie Lott
Lott’s place in NFL history as one of the toughest safeties to ever play the game was hard-earned thanks to his fierce hits and prominent role on the San Francisco 49ers dynasty teams of the 1980s. But Lott owes his place on this list to his pinky finger. During the 1985 season, Lott crushed it while tackling running back Timmy Newsome. Now, what happened next is somewhat apocryphal — many people still believe he had the finger sliced off during halftime so he could continue playing the game. That didn’t happen, but it does say a lot about what a tough-ass he is that people still believe the story 25 years later. The truth is that Lott elected to amputate part of the finger after the season in order to get back out on the field faster (that way, he didn’t have to let it heal). And he still went on to lead the league in interceptions.
