It’s not everyday that you get to speak to a 4 time Super Bowl Champion, and Hall of Famer, but I had the honor and privilege to welcome Ronnie Lott to the 49ersParadise.com community today.

Podcast: Play in …

Every once in a while we are fortunate enough at 49ersParadise.com to welcome a really special guest into the community, today is one of those lucky days. Although there's some jitters in the audio, and I do apologize for that, the interview is well worth the listen.

Ronnie is working with Wearsafe.com a really interesting piece of technology to help keep your friends and family safe. They have a 30 day free trial on at the moment, and I'd encourage you all to check them out.

I have desperately tried to clean up the audio in the file, but have failed despite hiring two audio engineers. I have transcribed the interview below for all to read:

49ersParadise: Hello 49ers fans, we are very, very, pleased to welcome Ronnie Lott to our community today I can't tell you how excited I am to have one of the best football players of at all-time here to speak to 49ers fans, and the 49ers Paradise community, it is such an honour to have a guest like this. Thank you so much, I’m sure you have an incredibly busy schedule. So we really appreciate you taking the time, to spend some time with us. I know the entire site has been excited since I let it leak that you’d be joining us in the near future and they can’t wait to hear what you have to say. They know your poured your heart, soul, and literally your body into the game, and we just can’t wait to hear about it.

Ronnie Lott: Thanks for allowing me to be on this cast today.

49ersParadise: Awesome. It’s absolutely our pleasure. There is so much I want to ask you about football, but first I know is that you are part of a really cool initiative with wearsafe.com, could you tell us a bit about that?

Ronnie Lott: Yes, you are actually fortunate that in my life you play safety, and you play safety for a host of reasons: you play safety to protect the end zones, to protect a lot of things that go on in football, and in this case I’m play safety, trying to protect people, and to try and protect people form being in situations where there may be a threat, or situations where some body falls, there could be situations maybe your daughter is out for a party, and she’s now in a situation where panic, and she's looking for help or somebody in her network to be able to contact - she can use a button and that button can alert all of her friends, and it will alert of of her friends immediately, it will show where she’s at it will also show her people going on around here so, for me to be able to be part of this team and being not only a part of this team but to be able to provide people the protection and the idea of giving somebody the ability to alert their friends, I think it's a very valuable asset and I’m excited because I’ve always always felt like in my life you here to help and serve others and here’s a chance to do it, and to do it with a product like wearsafe, because of wearsafe, you know that its something that you could wear and be safe and be able to connect with your friends.

49ersParadise: It’s pretty incredible, and it’s obviously a really cool use of technology but it’s really important, as a parent, I would do anything I can do to protect my kid. You must have a million opportunities that come your way, this one was one was clearly one that stood out to you as really worth while, I know wearsafe is offering a 30 day free trial and I think this is just an awesome piece of technology.

Ronnie Lott: Yes, it's an awesome piece of technology, I think the most important thing about the technology is that, it's not complicated, you know, it hooks up to your phone, you can then hook it up to all your network and close friends and it’s pretty easy to download, the button comes with it and so it’s a very simple process. Yes like a lot of things, a lot of people are always going well you have another thing in your wallet, or another thing in your pocket, but this other thing that’s now in your wallet, or your pocket or your purse, you know to get to someone that can get you right away, that as we all have, there are moments when we don’t believe it, but it does happen, and you want to be safe, and you want alert people we care about, and people that we know that can respond and help us, and to me that in of itself says a lot. I think that you know that opportunity to alert those friends is a game changer, because a lot of times in those situations, who do we alert? And who can we be in contact with? And how do we reach someone? And it happens so quickly, that all of a sudden what do you do? And how do you respond? And to have something that you can reach in your pocket, and just hit a button to let others know that to me is a very very, valuable asset to have.

49ersParadise: Absolutely, and I would encouraged all of our fans to check out wearsafe.com and take the advantage of that 30 day free trial. It’s a great way to get started and see what the technology is all about. I’m going to switch gears on you a little bit. I know the community can’t wait to hear a little about football, and your perspective, especially on this season. I mean, the 49ers are obviously dear to everybody’s heart, and you know we are looking at a record of 1-2 and wondering what in the world this team is going to have to do to right this ship? I’d love your perspective on that.

Ronnie Lott: Well look, the tough part about anything in life, is that when you make change, change comes with a lot of interesting values. And Bill Walsh used to talk about change, whether it is sudden change in the game, whether it’s changing uniform, whether in changing time, and how do you acclimate? How do you get yourself ready? And one of the things I always loved about Bill, is the fact that in change, there are certain things you have to prepare for, and I think in this case, in change, there are a lot of things that they are trying to prepare for, and yet it is hard to get people to understand the significance of what it takes to deal with change. And I think that’s on both side of the ball, and because it’s on both sides of the ball, it allows all of them to see that there are moments where they’ve had some hint of being able to adopt change, and then there are a lot of moments when you sit there and you go they’re not there. They’re not even close. And a lot of that comes from the fact that it’s so hard to deal with change and I’ve seen it a number of times. I see it with a lot of teams. I see it in life. And so for me me, watching ‘em, I’m rooting for them, but I’m also rooting for ‘em knowing that they’ve got to have a sense of urgency in change. And in my life, when we change in our first year. When we came in as rookies, and we had to change the environment in the secondary. And I remember there was a game, where George Seifert said “Guys just go out and play”. We didn’t bring you in here to think. We brought you in here to play ball, and to make something happen. And I’ll never forget that Eric Wright went out that last pre-season game, and made change happen. He made a play, and he made a play, and I remember then that happened, it allowed all of us to say, you know what, we can all go out and make change. That is the permission, of everybody on the team sayin’, “no more”, we are not going to tolerate the environment, we are going to make change. And we are going to make change by how we make change, making plays. And I gotta believe that, that is what Chip Kelly is really trying to encourage his guys to get that done. It felt like a little of that was happening on the defensive side of the ball in the first game. It felt like that because you saw guys flying around. You saw guys making plays, you say guys taking the posture of looking like they had a sense of purpose. The last two games, the last two games you’ve seen the change of that not be implemented. And what you see, at least I’ve seen, is you’ve seen the indecision, the indecision of what to do now? What to expect now? A lot of times when you have indecision, you find you’re in the middle of the play, and you’re not necessarily making the play. And so what I would encourage them to do, is get back to saying look, let’s, let’s, we’re going to be indecisive, we’re going to have moments, but let’s fly around, and establish the courage of being reckless. Of just being reckless. And trying to be a team that is going to go out and establish a tempo. Hard to do. But let’s at least try to at least do that. Let’s try to get that done on the defensive side of the ball like we did the first game. And then with, with the offense, the offense, let’s protect the ball, let’s, let’s find ourselves taking advantages of one of our best assets and that’s Carlos Hyde. Let’s run the ball, and let’s be effective coming off the line of scrimmage. Now, Davis retired. When a guy retires this early in the year, he, he, and he takes the position that it’s ok to do that. It’s hard for me to say that, you can play with somebody, and to say that you’re going to surrender this early. It’s to me it’s frustrating because surrendering this early…

49ersParadise: It sends a message doesn’t?

Ronnie Lott: Yeah, and the message that is being communicated, is that was he ever really there? Was his heart really ever there? And I don’t know. And I can’t explain it. But I gotta believe that, that, to have something like that happen this early, is probably a good thing. And the reason it’s a good thing is now you don’t have to deal with it any more. Now you gotta get a cohesive line. You gotta get, ya know, everybody playin’ together. But that, that component doesn’t help Chip Kelly, and doesn’t help the offense. That hampers the offensive coordinator. That anything that he can think of in pro football because it’s essential that those guys that are working together, are working together, they don’t have to be the most talented group, but they have to be the most committed group of working together and working knowing they have each other’s backs. Very difficult to do.

49ersParadise: Sorry, I don’t mean to jump in there. You’ve hit on so many incredible points there and you know, it’s, it is certainly a different era that we see watching, watching these players flying around and you know the retirement issue, and you talk about commitment, and the 49ers must seem… I mean Davis retired pretty much three times in the past year and half. Whether it was, ya know, Chris Borland after his rookie season, or Patrick Willis at what seemed to be the peak of his career. It almost seemed like something happened after Jim Harbaugh left, and it was retirement, retirement, retirement. Do you think there’s something there about having your head in the game, not having your head in the game? Is it the money that the players are making these days that makes it easier for them to walk away?

Ronnie Lott: Ahhh, you know what? I can’t answer that question for a lot of guys. First of all, you are talking to a guy that would have played for free. And the reason I would have played for free is that I just loved the game. I loved being in that environment. I loved competing against Jerry Rice. I loved competing against some of the greatest players ever. So to me, it’s in your blood, or it’s not in your blood. You know, Chris Borland, it definitely was in his blood. It’s definitely something that they, they, we all saw when he was at Wisconsin. What I don’t know, is what you know, consummated him to say, that, “it’s enough”. I gotta believe that scouting and you scout somebody, and we scout like we always scout, you would kind of know, you know, all of what, all of what that means. Right? All of what that person brings. And, so for me, watching all this, ya know, I gotta believe that, that, man, you know, those things are things that you know, and Bill Wallsh, and here’s a Bill-ism, Bill would always say “Ronnie, I don’t know if I need the most talented guys, I need the guys I know that I can count on”. And I used to sit there and go, hmm, that’s a very interesting statement. And think about, think about that statement, and you think about what we’ve seen, right? What we’ve seen here, in the last, ya know, in the last, three years… of… of… ya know, knowing what we got. Knowing what they stand for. Knowing what, ya know, do they love football? Do they care about it that much? You know, what does it mean to them…and so… so that’s all, ya know, man that’s part of the system of what you build, and Bill Walsh used to identify and try and find out those those characteristics. Because they’re essential to how valuable, every player matters, every player matters!

49ersParadise: Absolutely, and the only way you can build that depth for the future and continue to replenish, is if all that money, and time and talent, and all that practice time that you invest in each other, if the players stick around. It’s just been something to watch. And, ya know, as a fan you sit back and go, “man, you are taking about some of the most talented players in the world, who have given their everything to be there, and to just walk away.” It’s just, it’s amazing. And I’m sure as a former player, as a NFL great like you are, to sit there and go “I would play this game for free” and you know, at some point your body gives out on you, but until that point, it’s gotta be the most difficult decision in the world to walk away when you are at that level of the game.

Ronnie Lott: Yes, it’s a very interesting statement, and I think one of the great things that I love… and I know this, is that I used to love watching Patrick Willis. I loved watching him play. And the reason I loved watching him play. He was one of those guys, that it didn’t matter where the guy was going, how fast the guy was going. His pursuit of greatness was exhausting. And you would see him go after guys. Take down guys. I saw him do something one time and where he chased down a guy in an Arizona game. I was like that is one of the most amazing plays that I have ever seen. With that being said, ya know, again, and I don’t know is the injury that he had to his toe. Which is a very complicated injury that a lot of people will tell you, that when you have a turf toe, and you damage, and ya know ligaments that are damaged in that toe, it is very complicated. It’s … probably one of the most complicated injuries that you can have, because the balance of your toe is, is damaged. And so, ya know, I think the question is ya know: who and how and what can somebody do to repair that. And I don’t believe that it could have been repaired. Patrick felt like, ya know, “hey, if could go, I would go”, and so, so I understand the decision that he made, and more importantly, I think it was the right decision. On the other guys, ya know, we can’t walk into who they are, all we can do is speculate, and those guys all, ya know, have in their own life, have to gauge how they felt. But as a coach, my job is to inspire you to think that there is more. And, ya know, I used to, I used to love John Robinson, because John Robinson inspired me to always believe that “man, there is more in you”. And, I think that John Robinson, when you play for coaches like that, like you know, they have, coach Walsh, Pete Carroll, some of these guys, they just have, I played for Pete, and I just, there are certain guys just have a way making you want to play ball. And you want to ball. And you to ball for them. And Jim Harbaugh it seems like was one of those kinda guys. People wanted to play ball. They wanted to ball, ya know, for him. And it’s hard to find those guys. They are really hard to find in the coaching profession.

49ersParadise: Yah, and we certainly hope Chip Kelly is one them. But it’s early days. And umm, it’s early days on a team that is, ya know, starting to put its pieces back together, but there are a lot of questions all over that field. So we’re going to have be patient I think. You know, you were right one with the change. And the more change people go through, they can either embrace it, or they can feel the challenge of it. And I think it’s when they embrace it, that’s when things start to click for them.

Ronnie Lott: Yah, you know, it’s a really interesting, ya know saying, how a person puts on a uniform… and my dad was an Airforce guy, and I’m sure that if he puts on the a uniform and he’s in the Army, there’s going to be a different, ya know, personality, a personality that goes along with that. Now… my dad would also say, he goes: “you know what Ronnie, never measure yourself by the uniform, it doesn’t matter what uniform you put on, you better be great in that uniform”. And so, ya know, I was taught a different element, and I think that, that’s why I’ve always felt like when I went to play for any other team, I didn’t, I wasn’t measured by that, I was measured by what I brought to the table. So, again, ya know you find those attributes of people. And You gotta find… Your first round pick, your first round pick, and your players, those guys gotta exude, they gotta exude winning. And they gotta exude it in a way where, it’s the only thing that matters. And so, ya know, Jerry Rice, first round pick, he’s got a tempo of how he exuded, his tempo of how he practiced. What he gave to the game. It shows you. You know, you gotta, you gotta grab those other kind of soft skills, that also are very important. You can’t measure ‘em, but they are very important.

49ersParadise: Ronnie, you’ve been, ah so generous with your time and your words tonight. I really want to thank you for a taking the time, for a… spending some time with us. You know re-living, and telling us a little bit about what you are up to today. I’m really, really thankful. And I know the folks in the 49ers Paradise Community will check out wearsafe.com, and take advantage of that 30 day trial. Really, it’s been an absolute pleasure speaking to you, a guy idolized growing up as a kid, watching you on TV, and winning the Super Bowls, and going on, and on, and you know… Just one of those awesome, awesome players that inspired not just the players around him, but all the fans that were watching you on the field. Just really want to thank you as a 49ers fan, and somebody who’s watched you play, and grown up watching you play. And seeing you move on to do some incredible and worth while things after your career.

Ronnie Lott: Honestly, thank you very much for having me in your community, but more importantly I appreciate having the chance to talk with you. And I know the that wearsafe community is going to be greater, just because we had the opportunity to allow so many people to know, that man, here’s an opportunity to protect yourself, take care of yourself, to be able to alert your friends, and your neighbours, is invaluable. Than you for allowing me to share my thoughts around that, and my thoughts around the 49ers football team. Like all of us we are hoping that Chip Kelly can get it the point where it’s better, and they have a sense of attack that Bill Walsh used to talk about all the time.

49ersParadise: Well thank you, thank you much for you time tonight

Ronnie Lott: All right then you take care

49ersParadise: You too

Ronnie Lott: Bye bye

49ersParadise: Bye.