Tough guys aren't hard to find in the NFL. It's those who play in the most crucial moments of the season despite injuries go on to be remembered as legends. Tom Brady once played in the Super Bowl with a torn MCL. There was the story of Jack Youngblood who played the entire 1979 postseason with a broken tibia. However, the time Ronnie Lott chose to amputate a part of his finger rather than miss a playoff game with the San Francisco 49ers is a story that is just as intriguing.

Why did Ronnie Lott need to have his finger amputated?

San Francisco 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott (42) on the field against the Washington Redskins during the 1983 NFC Championship Game at RFK Stadium. The Redskins won 24-21.
Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The year was 1985. Lott continued to establish himself as one of the lockdown defensive backs in the NFL. He was coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection and second Super Bowl title. With the 49ers on course to be a legitimate threat to win consecutive titles for most of the season, their hopes started to fade once Lott suffered a gruesome injury against the Dallas Cowboys in the last game of the regular season.

It happened as Lott was attempting a tackle. His pinky finger was caught in the helmet of an opposing player. The play resulted in a severe fracture and a crushed bone for Lott. While the 49ers did still qualify for the postseason, their star DB was faced with a huge dilemma.

The injury to his pinky was apparently so severe that doctors informed Lott he would need surgery to repair the damage, a procedure that would require him to miss the next eight weeks. If he wanted to avoid the long recovery period, his only other course of action was to have it amputated.

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For most players, the decision would have been easy. Take the necessary time to heal and return to the field for next season. But Lott was not like most players.

Ronnie Lott made the unthinkable choice

Faced with the possibility of missing the wildcard round against the New York Giants, Lott opted to have the tip of his pinky amputated. Sure enough, by the end of the week, Lott was in uniform and ready to play. Unfortunately for him, his act of bravery fell on deaf ears to the rest of his teammates. The Giants would end up defeating the 49ers 17-3, leaving Lott to feel a deep sense of disappointment and frustration about how his season ended.

While the 1985 season didn't end how he wanted it to, Lott did still win two more Super Bowl titles with the 49ers and ended his career as a true legend that only shows itself once in a lifetime.