San Francisco 49ers 5th round draft selection Iowa tight end George Kittle goes through drills at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. He caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Joe Montana in the NFC Championship Game on January 10th, 1982 against the Dallas Cowboys. So, Montana had to improvise. "I'm sure the Dallas defense is saying, We forced six errors. And they'd be right. When asked about his team's success with the play, GM Howie Roseman said "All I know is everything we're doing is legal and works.". Former San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark died on Monday after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams (XVI and XIX). Late on in the fourth quarter with the game hanging in the balance and the 49ers trailing with 27-21, Montana swiftly guided the 49ers down the entire field. Getty Dwight Clark Dwight Clark, the beloved wide receiver for the the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s, died on Monday. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. To his credit, when he did catch the ball, he made it count and averaged 18.8 yards per catch. All the TV and radio calls you can handle from Harper, Stott clutch homers on Sunday, Shooters Radio: ECW One Night Stand 05 deep dive. 5 overall spot is a 'rare opportunity.'. One is "The Catch," which happened 40 years ago on Jan. 10, 1982. When the 49er contingent arrived on campus, Clark answered the phone by chance on his way out to play golf and was convinced to participate as Fuller's pass catcher at the workout, where Walsh was impressed with his receiving skills.[3][7][14]. In the Sports Illustrated article, Montana explained that he never saw The Catch, since he had just been knocked to the ground by Jones, but "I saw Dwight's feet touch the ground. and Al Cowlings", "49ers icon Dwight Clark: 'I need your prayers and thoughts', "Dwight Clark, 49ers great famous for 'The Catch,' dies at 61 from ALS", "NFC Championship Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers January 10th, 1982", "49ers legend Dwight Clark, 61, dies of ALS", "The 8th 49er to Have His Number Retired", "Former Browns GM Dwight Clark dies after battle with ALS", "CATCH THAT CHANGED 49ER HISTORY REVISITED", "Dwight Clark: Leaving Candlestick Park is "bittersweet" Niner Insider", "San Francisco's Top Receiver Dwight Clark, Thinks His Best Catch May Be His Wife, Ashley", "49ers legend Dwight Clark announces ALS diagnosis", "Dwight Clark stands by his statement that playing football gave him ALS", "Dwight Clark, former 49ers wide receiver, dead at 61", "Kelly Clark announces Dwight Clark has passed away", "Dwight Clark's death leaves a void in San Francisco's heart", "Promise of more game time lures defenseman to Devils", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dwight_Clark&oldid=1141634867, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:20. E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com. Yet the largest ripple effect of The Catch wasnt necessarily felt on the football field, but in the heart of the city of San Francisco itself. Following the Gatorade logo, the real version was shown with Dwight Clark's completion. Our hearts and prayers are with his wife Kelly, his children and the entire Clark family.". An All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Clark was diagnosed with. Dwight Clark has it! He showed tremendous courage and dignity in his battle with ALS and we hope there will soon be a cure for this horrendous disease. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! It's a touchdown for the 49ers! 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Dallas managed to pick up a few first downs, but were forced to punt, and White's kick gave San Francisco the ball at their own 11 with 4:54 left in the game and three timeouts. Clark had plans to play a round of golf and was headed out to play when he answered the phone. Yikes. He left in 1998 to become the general manager of the expansion era Cleveland Browns. "What I love about it the most is that it's connected me with 49ers fans for the rest of time," Clark said in 2013. There are plays that stand by themselves in sports. Montana confirmed that he could not see the end zone through the defenders, but claims that he knew exactly where Clark would be. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin has several contracts and extensions to weigh as Cincinnati looks to stay a Super Bowl favorite in 2023, and he's been unwilling to give a concrete answer on running back Joe Mixon's future. "We extend our condolences and prayers to Dwight's wife, Kelly, his family, friends and fans, as we join together to mourn the death of one the most beloved figures in 49ers history. Your email address will not be published. Touchdown, San Francisco, by Dwight Clark! CNN Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark died Monday at age 61 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. After nine seasons with the 49ers, Clark retired following the 1987 season. "I cocked my arm to do that when I saw Dwight covered. Even then, before the spate of titles, this was a transcendent moment in Bay Area sports - the 49ers had finally conquered the Cowboys. The 1990s, however, saw a renewal of the Cowboys-49ers rivalry fueled by "The Catch" game. The concept for the photo. On June 4, 2018, Dwight Clark died from the disease. Local San Francisco radio station KCBS also provided their own broadcast, as they did for all 49ers games, with Don Klein and Wayne Walker providing the play-by-play and color respectively. Although Pete Carroll seems to want QB Geno Smith back in 2023, the Seahawks HC said Tuesday that picking at the No. "Theres all kinds of versions of how we had practiced it, where we practiced it, when -- everybody remembers it a little bit different," Clark told the 49ers website in 2013. In the following season, the Cowboys reached their third straight NFC Championship Game, where they were defeated 3117 by their archrival Washington Redskins. Clark's career and 'The Catch' Weeks later, the 49ers drafted Clark in the 10th of 12 rounds, pairing him with their third-round quarterback from Notre Dame. This was a team, Joe Gergen wrote in The Sporting News, that bypassed mediocrity. Storey recalled jostling for position as the 49ers moved toward their go-ahead touchdown. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Then he moved home to Charlotte, N.C., and began building luxury spec houses. On Sunday, Clark celebrated his 60th birthday. The statue features two life-size figures, Montana with his arms in the air celebrating the touchdown and, 23 yards away, Clark leaping to make The Catch. Following his workout, the 49ers selected Clark with the first pick of the tenth round, or 249th overall pick, in the 1979 NFL draft. [30] He had three children with Stone: a daughter, Casey, and two sons, Riley and Mac. Now, Gergen wrote of the play, Montana was throwing the most significant pass in 49er annals toward Clark. Three of the Cowboys' defenders, defensive ends Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Larry Bethea and linebacker D. D. Lewis, chased a backpedalling Montana toward the sideline, and seemed certain to either send him out of bounds or sack him. Receiver Dwight Clark makes "The Catch" on a pass from Joe Montana that tied the game late in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys in the 1982 NFC championship game. Vin Scully described the play on CBS Television: Meanwhile, Jack Buck had the call over on CBS Radio: Meanwhile, Don Klein called the play locally for the 49ers on KCBS: Finally, Verne Lundquist called the play locally for the Cowboys on KRLD: This game was a watershed in the historic fortunes of both the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. All stats courtesy ofPro Football Reference. Storey got $100 in a bonus from the paper. Clark spiked the ball. But just then I saw Dwight getting away from the coverage.". The image, forever frozen in the minds eye, is the ball in the late Dwight Clarks fingertips, as he stretches above Everson Walls, who can only reach futilely with his right arm. The 19921994 seasons would see the Cowboys and 49ers face off in three straight NFC Championship games, with the Cowboys winning the first two and the 49ers winning the last one; each victorious team following it up with a Super Bowl title. -- The game will be highlighted by the unveiling of statues depicting "The Catch" outside of Levi's Stadium. As for the height of the catch, Montana has said that he didn't feel that he threw the ball very high. And I encourage the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the NFL to continue working together in their efforts to make the game of football safer, especially as it relates to head trauma. His wife, Kelly, announced his passing on. That era-defining play shifted the balance of power in the NFC, ending the hegemony of the 1970s Cowboys and launching the 49ers' dynasty of the 1980s. The "Good Morning Football" crew broke down the top storylines following the San Francisco 49ers win vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi's Stadium. I had the flu last week and I had trouble getting my breath on that last drive. He was second on the team with 11 receptions for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a career-high 68-yard touchdown catch against the University of Maryland that helped the Tigers win the ACC Championship. Except this time Montana, sprinting right, away from dominant Cowboys pass rusher Harvey Martin, faced a decision. New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, a Bay Area native who ultimately grew up idolizing Montana on his way to his own successful NFL career including seven Super Bowl wins, attended the game as a four-year-old and aspired to become a 49er.[7]. One is The Catch, which happened 40 years ago on Jan. 10, 1982. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. "The San Francisco 49ers family has suffered a tremendous loss today with the passing of Dwight Clark," the team announced in a statement. [17], In the 1981 NFC Championship game, on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers trailed 2721 with 58 seconds to play. Caught by (Dwight) Clark! Sadly, he died a couple of years ago after a short battle with ALS. It's like a championship fight, like Snipes knocking down Holmes. I didn't want to take a loss in that situation. What Clark displayed during the workout was something the 49ers and no other team had seen on tape. [11] After returning to the team, he was a backup wide receiver and finished with five receptions for 99 yards and a 19.8-yard average. The play that afforded Watson the chance to throw or run for the score and sprung Renfrow with the pick/rub play had a striking resemblance to the play in which Montana found Clark. The rest is history, as Montana-to-Clark became one of the greatest connections in NFL lore. Just before being chased out of bounds, and after a pump-fake caused the 6-foot 9-inch Ed Too Tall Jones to leave his feet, Montana threw a high pass to the back of the end zone that seemed to be heading out of bounds until Clark, closely covered by Cowboys defender Everson Walls, made a leaping catch with his fingertips in the back right corner of the end zone to tie the game with 51 seconds left. If not for a serendipitous phone call intended for former Clemson quarterback Steve Fuller, Clark's career might have been a dream. The touchdown, of course, propelled the 49ers to a 28-27 victory over Dallas in the NFC Championship Game. The game was not over, however, and the Cowboys quarterback Danny White had 51 seconds following a Wersching squib kick to move the ball 75 yards. AP Photo/Dallas Morning News, Phil Huber). The PAT was good, and the 49ers were Super Bowl bound. He caught 80 passes including eight touchdowns in 1980 from quarterbacks Steve DeBerg and Joe Montana. Not only did San Franciscos winstart a dynasty, but its victory over Dallas also signaled the impending end of another: theCowboys underlegendary coach Tom Landry. [21] He served as a team executive for the 49ers until 1998, when he resigned to become the first General Manager in the expansion era of the Cleveland Browns, after following Carmen Policy who would run the team under the ownership of Al Lerner. Around the NFL Writer San Francisco 49ers legend Dwight Clark passed away Monday at the age of 61, his family confirmed. Whenever he caught the ball, he made it count and managed to average an impressive 18.8 yards per catch. 10 teams that could have interest, and how much cash he could get. [20], Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:20, National Football League Players Association, "49er great Dwight Clark receiver who made The Catch dies at 61", "Dwight Clark, San Francisco 49ers receiver who made 'The Catch,' dies at 61", "One of Charlotte's greatest pro athletes has died", "Dwight Clark, 49ers receiver of The Catch, dead at 61", "Former Clemson great Dwight Clark passes", "Dwight Clark of Clemson football, 49ers fame dies from ALS", "Dwight Clark, 61, Dies; Made a Touchdown Catch for the Ages", "Illness robbed us of Dwight Clark, but not of his spirit", "49ers flashback: 1979 team was dreadful despite Walsh, Montana, O.J. Clark then retired after the 1987 season finished, and in 1988, the 49ers eventually retired his jersey. After suffering through several losses early on in the 1981 season, the Montana-led 49ers cruised straight into the playoffs with an impressive record. The Cowboys managed to make the playoffs in the 1983 and 1985 seasons, only to be knocked out in their first game (Wild Card round in 1983; Divisional round in 1985), then failed to reach the postseason for the rest of the decade. Their record improved, as did Montana and Clark, in 1980, going 6-10. [1], Montana started the drive with 89 yards to reach the end zone. This would be the final professional football game that Vin Scully would call the play by play as well as the final game that Pat Summerall did color commentary before moving to play-by-play announcer for the rest of his broadcast career (Summerall had moved from color commentator to play-by-play midway through the 1974 season; working color commentary here as a substitute for Jack Buck's regular radio partner Hank Stram; who was also Scully's main television broadcast partner during the 1981 season). 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