It was the second of three straight NFC title game losses for Dallas. Those two calls added up to 10 points, Lott noted in The Sporting News. The Catch and Ray Werschings ensuing PAT gave the 49ers a 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. [17], In the 1981 NFC Championship game, on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers trailed 2721 with 58 seconds to play. With Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts facing off in the NFC Championship this weekend, relive their 2019 high-scoring Big 12 clash as Iowa State took on Oklahoma. Then he moved home to Charlotte, N.C., and began building luxury spec houses. Montana rolls out of the pocket, backpedals, pump fakes, spots Clark, throws the ball and a 49ers dynasty is born. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! And I was real tired. As for the height of the catch, Montana has said that he didn't feel that he threw the ball very high. He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark passed away Monday after his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Lined up in the slot on the right side in the first quarter, 49ers receiver Freddie Solomon took off for the flag as Clark, lined up wide right, curled inside. 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. 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. Montana lines up at the five and on third down and three he rolls right, looking to throw looking to throw and he throws into the end zone Touchdown! The skills Clark displayed throughout the workout were something that the 49ers had never seen on tape before. The game was broadcast nationally in the United States by CBS. The Examiner sold thousands of extra editions on Jan. 11, 1982, and even turned the photo into a modestly profitable poster. Despite occurring over 40 years ago, the game-winning touchdown play remains one of the most impressive NFL moves in the history of the sport. Later, in the locker room, he expressed his amazement at how high Clark had jumped. Clark spiked the ball. "Everybody says they were there," Storey said of The Catch. Today, I lost my little brother and one of my best friends. At Clemson, he wore #30, posting only 33 catches for 571 yards, 3 touchdowns and a 17.3-yard average (seventh in school history). Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 14 matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was Executive Vice President and Director of Football Operations from 1999 to 2001. Montana launched his next pass into the end zone, but missed Solomon. In the second quarter, San Francisco reached the Cowboys' 27-yard line, only to lose the ball when Everson Walls intercepted a pass from Montana in the end zone. The game was broadcast on CBS and the call was made by the great Vin Scully. What was Clark's cause of death? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The third option would be to roll to the right and throw it high enough where it goes out of bounds or Dwight can jump up and catch it. The 49ers representative convinced Clark to skip golf and serve as Fullers receiver during the quarterbacks workout. This is championship football. [1], Montana started the drive with 89 yards to reach the end zone. The Catch is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays in National Football League (NFL) history. Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the most famous single moment in Bay Area sports history. San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana threw a touchdown pass . 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. On Sunday, Clark celebrated his 60th birthday. John Taylor was better than I was, so I couldnt come out of the game. Clark, while discussing The Catch in America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions documentary about the 1981 49ers, said: It's humbling, really. Your email address will not be published. [11], On March 19, 2017, Clark announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. We won't call this on fourth down. [16][31], Clark married Kelly Radzikowski in 2011. Bob Hille is a senior content consultant for The Sporting News. diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 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. He had two cameras, one with a 400-millimeter lens for capturing action at a distance. Holmes survived the knockdown, as would the Niners against the Cowboys. Dwight will always carry a special place in our hearts and his legacy will live on as we continue to battle this terrible disease.". Just before being chased out of bounds, and after a pump-fake caused the 6-foot 9-inch (206 cm) "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, and landed just in-bounds at the back right corner of the end zone to score the touchdown and tie the game with 51 seconds left. Following his sterling career on the field, Clark worked his way through San Francisco's front office, ultimately rising to general manager. I cannot put into words how special Dwight was to me and to everyone his life touched. After the workout finished, Walsh was impressed with Clarks ability. As a junior, he was named a starter at wide receiver and was part of the team that qualified Clemson to the Gator Bowl, its first bowl game in 18 years. Watch 49ers Arik Armstead work out at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. Even then, before the spate of titles, this was a transcendent moment in Bay Area sports - the 49ers had finally conquered the Cowboys. "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. [27] He also appeared in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8. 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. On October 21, 2018, the 49ers unveiled a statue outside Levi's Stadium depicting The Catch. He said he suspected numerous concussions during his playing days contributed to his disease. On second-and-ten, Elliot ran the ball for six yards, to the Dallas six yard line, setting up a third and four for the 49ers, with a possible first down to be made at the 2-yard line and the ball spotted between the hashmarks as the team called their second timeout.[2]. 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. CNN Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark died Monday at age 61 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. "I will always remember Dwight the way he was -- larger than life, handsome, charismatic and the one who could pull off wearing a fur coat at our Super Bowl parade. There are plays that stand by themselves in sports. Sports enterprise reporter Ron Kroichick has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1995, when he came from The Sacramento Bee. 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. Its the same play Niners QB coach Sam Wyche called from the coaches booth on third and 3 from the Cowboys 6 with 58 seconds to play. 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. Extra Mustard. And as if all of that wasn't enough, the play call that ended with Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson hitting wide receiver Hunter Renfrow for the game-winning 2-yard touchdown against Alabama on Monday looked awfully familiar. The Bengals, who were 6-10 in 1980 and beat them to the honor by about four hours, defeating San Diego Chargers, 27-7, in the AFC Championship. At 6ft 4in (1.93m), his first love was basketball, but he accepted a scholarship to play college football at Clemson University.[9][10]. CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 100 Dwight Clark The Catch Premium High Res Photos Browse 100 dwight clark the catch stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Clark's got a touchdown! It's like a championship fight, like Snipes knocking down Holmes. In 2021, Kroichick earned an Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 award for his feature on Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee conquering cancer. The 49ers coach, Bill Walsh, assumed that it was a throw-away play and immediately began planning for the fourth down until he heard the cheers from the crowd. ", On Monday night, after watching Renfrow haul in the national-title-winning catch while playing the role of Solomon, Clark told CSN Bay Area that the player in his position never had a chance -- much like Solomon didn't -- in 1982 because the player running his route "got pushed to the ground.". Clark played college football at Clemson University and was selected by the 49ers in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark delivers a go-ahead touchdown in the 1981 NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No. Weeks later, the 49ers drafted Clark in the 10th of 12 rounds, pairing him with their third-round quarterback from Notre Dame. Sadly, he died a couple of years ago after a short battle with ALS. He also won another Super Bowl in 1984. San Francisco 49ers third round draft selection BYU linebacker Fred Warner goes through drills at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. Earlier in that game, Solomon had scored on a similar play. 10 teams that could have interest, and how much cash he could get. -- The game will be highlighted by the unveiling of statues depicting "The Catch" outside of Levi's Stadium. In a moving tribute to Clark's legacy, NFL Network's Michael Silver wrote last September that the former player and executive "carried an aura of awesomeness into his post-football existence: Handsome, charming and perpetually cheerful, the man lit up a room without acting as though he owned it. Montana, looking looking throwing in the end zone. "I didn't realize at the time that people would keep talking about it. 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. Sep 20, 2019. In October 2018, the 49ers unveiled a statue outside of Levis Stadium featuring Clark making his famous catch. Clark was not the intended receiver on the play call. The play kicked off an . Although it didn't play out exactly how "The Catch" did, it was just another sweet victory in early January for Clark. After suffering through several losses early on in the 1981 season, the Montana-led 49ers cruised straight into the playoffs with an impressive record. Bill Walsh, the new 49ers coach, visited Clemson in 1979 to take a close look at Clarks roommate Steve Fuller. The Catch happened when Montana called Change Left Slot Sprint Right Option.. [3][4] That play, one of the most famous in the history of the NFL, has been immortalized as "The 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. 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