In retirement, Clark expressed remorse about the end of Candlestick Park, saying that "It was a dump [but] it was our dump, so we could talk bad about it, but we didn't want anybody else to talk bad about it. 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 350-pound statues of Dwight Clark and Joe Montana will be placed exactly 23 yards apart, just as the two 49ers were during the famous play. The Niners unveil The Catch statue outside of Levis Stadium in memory of Dwight Clark ? Reddit . [15] But they soon greatly improved, winning the Super Bowl at the ends of the 1981 and 1984 seasons, and, starting in 1981, making the playoffs every year Clark was with them except 1982. Clark tallied 506 catches for 6,750 yards and 48 touchdowns, along with 50 rushing yards in his nine NFL seasons with the 49ers. In the Niners' version, Montana's first read was supposed to be receiver Freddie Solomon, who was supposed to shake loose via pick, just as Renfrow did. I love him and will miss him terribly. The skills Clark displayed throughout the workout were something that the 49ers had never seen on tape before. The Catch, 40 years ago this week, capped a magnificent 89-yard drive, a breathtaking 6-yard pass play, designed by coach Bill Walsh and executed spectacularly by quarterback Joe Montana and Clark, to make the 49ers NFC champions on Jan. 10, 1982, at Candlestick Park. Montana threw three interceptions, and Niners backs fumbled three times. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Though the ball looked like it was heading out of bounds, Clark made a successful leaping grab and tied the game. [32] He stated that he believed he developed ALS as a result of playing football; he suffered three concussions during his playing career. Although Pete Carroll seems to want QB Geno Smith back in 2023, the Seahawks HC said Tuesday that picking at the No. The fact that Clark got drafted, much less made it on the roster of an NFL team came as a surprise to many. When Walsh called to arrange a workout for Fuller, Clark happened to answer the phone. On television, Vin Scully called the play-by-play and Hank Stram did the color commentary. It's a touchdown for the 49ers! 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. Storey, then a 26-year-old photographer for the San Francisco Examiner (following and preceding stints at The Chronicle), watched it all unfold from the side of the end zone. 49ers legend Joe Montana joined "NFL Total Access" to discuss theteam's Week 14 matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NFL Network broke down why WR Brandon Aiyuk and LB Dre Greenlaw are under-the-radar players to watch for in the NFC Championship Game. 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. One is "The Catch," which happened 40 years ago on Jan. 10, 1982. Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the most famous single moment in Bay Area sports history. The Niners would go on to win Super Bowl XVI, the first professional sports championship the city of San Francisco had ever experienced. Now, Gergen wrote of the play, Montana was throwing the most significant pass in 49er annals toward Clark. In 2005, a commercial for the Gatorade sports drink, known as "The Winning Formula", portrayed an alternate version of The Catch, in which the ball bounced out of Clark's fingertips. E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com. "At least I have a picture to prove it.". The 49ers defeated the New York Giants in the divisional round and then hosted the Cowboys in a rematch with much more on the linea berth in Super Bowl XVI. I feel honored people are still talking about it, 25 years later. 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. It's great to give 49er fans that moment that they can relive over and over and over, and I know they do because when I am in San Francisco and a lot of places, people want to talk about that play and how it crushed the Cowboys and sent them into submission for a decade. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, Source: Purdy surgery delayed due to swelling, Answering key offseason questions for every NFL team: Intel on Tua, Lamar and the No. Actor Don Cheadle demonstrated the height of Clark's catch by standing on a stepladder in the end zone. And high, as the play was intended. He returned to the Examiner office, processed his film, scanned the negatives - and, yes, he had a clear and dramatic shot of Clark snatching the ball out of the air. An All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Clark was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, in March of 2017. Here are five things you might not know about the teams, the players, the game and, yes, The Catch, from the pages of The Sporting News: TSN ARCHIVES: Swing right option dooms Dallas. Required fields are marked *. I don't know how I caught the ball. ", Holmes, of course, was heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. With the ball in 49ers territory after a long pass to Drew Pearson, Danny White was sacked by Lawrence Pillers and fumbled. Dwight will always carry a special place in our hearts and his legacy will live on as we continue to battle this terrible disease.". On the first play from scrimmage, White hit Drew Pearson for a 31-yard reception, bringing the Cowboys over the midfield line and leaving them only 10 to 15 yards to reach field goal range. Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 - June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 1987. An All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Clark was diagnosed with. "That was Joe's genius, to throw it up there. San Francisco 49ers legend Dwight Clark passed away Monday at the age of 61, his family confirmed. Clark, while discussing The Catch in America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions documentary about the 1981 49ers, said: It's humbling, really. He retired after the 1987 season. Dwight Clark, a receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, is best known for making what is now seen as one of the most iconic catches during the 1981 NFC Championship. 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. [33] "I've been asked if playing football caused this," Clark wrote. Clark built his restaurant, Clark's By The Bay, the year he retired and decorated it with sports memorabilia including The Catch. Things got even better for Dallas when Walls recorded his second interception from Montana on the next drive at the Cowboys 27. 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 49ers had another chance to score before halftime when they recovered a fumbled punt on the Dallas 42. 4 Share 165 views 1 year ago 1/10/1981 - This day in 1981 During the NFC Championship Game between The San Francisco 49ers and The Dallas Cowboys , with 58 seconds left in the game Dwight Clark. After San Francisco forced Dallas to punt on the opening drive, quarterback Joe Montana completed a 17-yard pass to Charle Young and a 24-yarder to Lenvil Elliott before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon. San Francisco wide receiver Dwight Clark made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone to complete a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Montana, enabling the 49ers to defeat the Cowboys, 2827. "The way I remember it is, we had practiced it during practice maybe once, and then Bill [Walsh] kept Joe and I after practice during training camp, and he said, "This is what were going to do; were going to try to pick the defender thats covering Freddie, hit him, touchdown. SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark, there's something about ringing in the new year that brings good fortune. 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. In 2016, Kroichick and photographer Michael Macor earned "Best Sports Feature" from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, for their series on Antioch High running back Najee Harris, the nation's No. San Francisco 49ers third round draft selection BYU linebacker Fred Warner goes through drills at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. Clark and Montana re-enacted The Catch in observance of the 25th anniversary of the play as part of San Francisco alumni day activities at halftime of the Minnesota game November 5, 2006, at Candlestick Park. Plus, back then, that was just football. On August 5, 2007, The Best Damn Sports Show Period did a special show commemorating the top 50 amazing sports catches of all time. Clark's leap and fingertip grab remains one of the most famous plays in NFL history for not only its degree of difficulty, but also for how clutch it was in a big moment. After his initial move, Clark's pattern called for him to cut diagonally left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path, running right along the back boundary of the end zone. But Snipes? Immortalized in. Ryan Tannehill's injuries, Tennessee's struggles and the existence of 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis have prompted many to wonder whether the veteran quarterback's time with the Titans is nearing an end. Dwight Clark leaves a Dallas defender in his dust after making. "I cocked my arm to do that when I saw Dwight covered. Weeks later, the 49ers drafted Clark in the 10th of 12 rounds, pairing him with their third-round quarterback from Notre Dame. This article has all the answers that you need. Elliot then set up a third-and-four with a six-yard run. Clark played for the 49ers throughout his nine-year career. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. In 2021, Kroichick earned an Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 award for his feature on Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee conquering cancer. Holmes survived the knockdown, as would the Niners against the Cowboys. The Catch is listed as #17. The Buccaneers are planning to release RB Leonard Fournette when the new league year begins on March 15, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 17 matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. Clark curled into the end zone, braked at the end line and looked for his quarterback. 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 second quarter, Clark managed to catch a 20-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana that provided the 49ers with a slight 14-10 lead. The Examiner sold thousands of extra editions on Jan. 11, 1982, and even turned the photo into a modestly profitable poster. But how did it occur? Clark played his entire nine-year career with the 49ers and earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 1982. Wrote Gergen in The Sporting News: Solomon broke for the flag but was covered. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Montana said, "We'd never thrown the ball to Dwight on that play, at all. Montana completed two quick passes to Clark and Solomon respectively and the 49ers called a timeout with the ball on the Dallas 12. Storey got $100 in a bonus from the paper. Thats because Clark was never a featured receiver at Clemson. The team retired his jersey in 1988. The 1990s, however, saw a renewal of the Cowboys-49ers rivalry fueled by "The Catch" game. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. The Cowboys did have a last chance for victory. Your email address will not be published. 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