But he landed a priceless shot - that's former Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto in the background, incidentally, wearing a white tie and looking mighty young - and a cool memory. The representative of the 49ers on the other end managed to convince Clark to serve as Fullers receiver during his workout instead of playing golf. "For almost four decades, he served as a charismatic ambassador for our team and the Bay Area. Watch 49ers Arik Armstead work out at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. After "The Catch", the 49ers went on to win Super Bowl XVI 2621 over the Cincinnati Bengals. The "Good Morning Football" crew revealed New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith for Comeback Player of the Year finalists. Former NFL running back Warrick Dunn shared the story of how 49ers legend Joe Perry became the first Black NFL MVP. Former San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark died on Monday after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 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]. 10 teams that could have interest, and how much cash he could get. Storey quickly whirled to follow the pass - he didn't change cameras, given the distance - and snapped away as the ball settled into Clark's hands. [13] New head coach Bill Walsh had visited Clemson to scout quarterback Steve Fuller, Clark's roommate. 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. Montana looking, looking, throwing in the end zone Clark caught it! Speaking Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman called quarterback Jalen Hurts an "elite talent" but wouldn't dive into specifics on negations. 49ers: 30 years ago, photographer caught The Catch, SF 49ERS DWIGHT CLARK MAKING " THE CATCH " 49ERS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS, 10 JAN82, 1981 NFC championship game in San Francisco. [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. Throughout the game, player momentum shifted equally between the two teams. The San Francisco 49ers lined up in a split backs formation, with Joe Montana under center. Jim Stuckey recovered for the 49ers and the rest is history. But Solomon slipped the second time, which threw off the timing and forced Clark to run his route in the back of the end zone, faking left and then tiptoeing along the back right corner of the end zone. New San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh visited Clemson in 1979 to take a look at quarterback Steve Fuller, Clarks roommate. When Montana took the snap, the play, officially named in the 49ers playbook "Change Left Slot Sprint Right Option",[3] was intended to set up quick pass to Solomon; earlier in the game, Solomon had scored a touchdown on the same play. The play saw Joe Montana find Dwight Clark for the game-winning touchdown in the NFC Championship Game played at Candlestick. The NFL's highest-paid players at every position: Here's who makes the most money, from QB to punter, Trade for Aaron Rodgers? In the entire franchise history of the NFL, only Dwight Clarks reception is commonly referred to as The Catch.. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 15 matchup vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Kelly Clark. [18] Clark finished the game with eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The PAT was good, and the 49ers were Super Bowl bound. 49ers legend Joe Montana joined "NFL Total Access" to discuss theteam's Week 14 matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Local Dallas radio station KRLD also provided their own broadcast, as they did for all Cowboys games, with Verne Lundquist and Brad Sham providing the play-by-play and color respectively. Overseeing the entire operation was Hall of Fame owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., who released his own statement on Clark's passing: "My heart is broken. Five seasons after The Catch, Clark took a job in the 49ers' front office, where he won three more rings. : The powerful #AFootballLife: Dwight Clark premiers TOMORROW (8pm ET) pic.twitter.com/HzycErFAgE. This was a team, Joe Gergen wrote in The Sporting News, that bypassed mediocrity. 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. "[28], Clark dated Miss Universe Shawn Weatherly from 1978 to 1982. 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark delivers a go-ahead touchdown in the 1981 NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No. The twin statues feature an airborne Clark leaping high into the air for a fingertip catch, just as he did for "The Catch" against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game on Jan. 10, 1982. The game was broadcast on CBS and the call was made by the great Vin Scully. Suffice it to say, expectations werent exactly high ahead of the 1981 season. Bill Walsh, the new 49ers coach, visited Clemson in 1979 to take a close look at Clarks roommate Steve Fuller. The Catch symbolized the end of the Cowboys' domination in the NFC since the conference's inception in 1970, and the beginning of the 49ers' rise as an NFL dynasty in the 1980s. He was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams (XVI and XIX). 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.". Meanwhile, the Cowboys, one of the most successful NFC teams in the 1970s with five Super Bowl appearances and two wins, never made it back to the Super Bowl in the 1980s. Montana threw three interceptions, and Niners backs fumbled three times. Clark curled into the end zone, braked at the end line and looked for his quarterback. But the lingering image quickly became The Catch, partly because of Storey's shot and another famous photo by Sports Illustrated's Walter Iooss Jr. (which ran on the magazine's cover). In the second quarter, Clark managed to catch a 20-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana that provided the 49ers with a slight 14-10 lead. (Original Caption) San Francisco 49ers Dwight Clark (87, WR), goes up in the air in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown pass from Qb Joe Montana to set up the PAT which beat the Dallas . To honor his contribution to 49ers, the club retired his #87 in 1988. He showed tremendous courage and dignity in his battle with ALS and we hope there will soon be a cure for this horrendous disease. That allowed the newspaper to fill its front page with the image of Clark reaching for the heavens to catch Montana's pass. How did he die?. Whenever he caught the ball, he made it count and managed to average an impressive 18.8 yards per catch. He's also The Chronicle's golf columnist, covering the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and all major championships in Northern California. Ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers unveiled statues depicting "The Catch" -- Dwight Clark's iconic game-winning touchdown in the 1981 NFL. Montana and the 49ers would defeat the Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI. [1] [2] He was a member of San Francisco's first two Super Bowl championship teams. [4] Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon, who would run a short "square out" pattern that he would catch just past the first down marker, and either step out of bounds, giving the 49ers a fresh set of downs, or would turn upfield and score himself. Clark spiked the ball. The San Francisco 49ers selected Clark with the first pick of the tenth round (249th overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft, even though some people in the organization questioned the selection at the time, considering he was seen as an undrafted free agent. 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. Initially serving Cajun food, it later switched to prime rib and seafood. Because Solomon, the first option, was covered, Montana was supposed to look to Clark as his second option. Three plays later, running back Tony Dorsett scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown to give Dallas a 1714 lead. Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark passed away Monday after his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The Cowboys had Solomon covered. And now we come to a catch that truly changed the game of football forever. The strength, perseverance and grace with which he battled ALS will long serve as an inspiration to so many. How's this for an autograph gem: San Francisco 49ers legend Dwight Clark drawing up the play that was called on the famous "The Catch" in the 1981 playoffs. In their first season under Walsh, Montana and Clarks rookie year, San Fran was 2-14. The Catch happened when Montana called Change Left Slot Sprint Right Option.. San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark hauls in a six-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana with 51 seconds left in the 1982 NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 14 matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His classic shot shows Clark high in the air, stretching skyward to corral the pass as Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls watches helplessly. Following his workout, the 49ers selected Clark with the first pick of the tenth round, or 249th overall pick, in the 1979 NFL draft. 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