Caught by (Dwight) Clark! 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. John Taylor was better than I was, so I couldnt come out of the game. It was just a great life. Clark played his entire nine-year career with the 49ers and earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 1982. Following his sterling career on the field, Clark worked his way through San Francisco's front office, ultimately rising to general manager. As such, the Cowboys were able to cover Solomon perfectly. Watch 49ers Arik Armstead work out at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. "The San Francisco 49ers family has suffered a tremendous loss today with the passing of Dwight Clark," the team announced in a statement. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. The Cowboys did have a last chance for victory. Clark disputes that assertion, claiming that it was a backup plan that they practiced many times. 10 teams that could have interest, and how much cash he could get. 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. A 22-year-old rookie free agent, Walls had led the NFL in interceptions that season with 11 a mark that went unmatched for 40 years until Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs did it this season. However, the Cowboys soon returned the favor with Danny White's interception to linebacker Bobby Leopold, and this time the 49ers converted, regaining the lead at 2117 with a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Johnny Davis. Clark's career and 'The Catch' And Storey looked at the back of his camera to see if he captured the moment, right? Then 49ers running back Bill Ring lost a fumble on his own 29, leading to White's 26-yard touchdown pass to Tony Hill that put the Cowboys up 107. W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office 14 things you need in your car before you drive to Tahoe, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). An offside penalty against the Cowboys on the next play gave Montana a fresh set of downs to work with, and Montana completed a 5-yard pass to Earl Cooper just before the 2-minute warning. 2 on the "NFL 100 Greatest" ranking of the top . Later, in the locker room, he expressed his amazement at how high Clark had jumped. Clark spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the 49ers, ranking third and fourth in franchise history in receiving yards (6,750) and receptions (506), respectively. 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. Advertisement. With the ball in 49ers territory after a long pass to Drew Pearson, Danny White was sacked by Lawrence Pillers and fumbled. Around the NFL Writer San Francisco 49ers legend Dwight Clark passed away Monday at the age of 61, his family confirmed. [3][4] The play, immortalized as "The Catch", propelled the 49ers to their first Super Bowl championship. "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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 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. Dwight Clark catches the ball! The team retired his jersey in 1988. 64: 2011 NFC Divisional Playoff - Saints vs. 49ers "The Catch III" (Jan. 14, 2012) #NFL100 @49ers @VernonDavis85 Television: NFL 100 Greatest Games on @NFLNetwork, "TD could become 'The Catch III' in 49ers lore", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Catch_(American_football)&oldid=1142103148. 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. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Apr 14, 2015. He was unhappy and considered transferring to play basketball at Appalachian State University, until he was finally allowed to play offense. Extra Mustard. He had two cameras, one with a 400-millimeter lens for capturing action at a distance. I don't know how I caught the ball. [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. In his senior season in 1978, the Tigers were 111, won the Gator Bowl over Ohio State, and finished sixth in the final AP poll. Montana said, "We'd never thrown the ball to Dwight on that play, at all. Whenever he caught the ball, he made it count and managed to average an impressive 18.8 yards per catch. And, in fact, it was the Cowboys who made the final, fatal mistake. His senior season, he hauled in an amazingly few number of receptions at 11. The 49ers went on to dominate the NFL throughout the remainder of the 1980s, winning four titles within the decade. Not only did the winning touchdown catch lift the 49ers to their first-ever Super Bowl, but it has made history as one of the greatest catches in the history of the NFL. When the football gods decided to bestow everlasting glory on an athlete with a random moment of triumph, they picked the right guy in . After the workout finished, Walsh was impressed with Clarks ability. After forcing a Dallas punt, Montana threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Clark to retake the lead, 1410. Tag Lamar Jackson? The drive began with an incomplete pass to Lenvil Elliot. 3 of 5 4 of 5 Photographer John Storey visits Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, where he captured the iconic image of Dwight Clark's famous touchdown catch . On 3rd-and-3, Clark leaped and caught a 6-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana in the back of the end zone to tie the score, and Ray Wersching's extra-point kick advanced the 49ers to Super Bowl XVI. [18] Clark finished the game with eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. It was the second of three straight NFC title game losses for Dallas. But don't throw it low, don't throw an interception. The Cowboys fared no better as White was sacked twice on their next drive, once by Jim Stuckey and once by Lawrence Pillers, and the half ended soon after. Watch Deebo Samuel's performance at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. It also set in motion a series of events that established the Niners as one of the NFL's dominant franchises for the better part of the two decades that followed. In 2019, in celebration of the NFL's 100th season, NFL Films ranked The Catch second on its list of the 100 Greatest Plays.[9]. The Catch was the game-winning touchdown reception in the 1981 NFC Championship Game played between the Dallas Cowboys and the eventual Super Bowl XVI champion San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on January 10, 1982, as part of the 1981-82 NFL playoffs. 49ers legend Joe Montana joined "NFL Total Access" to discuss theteam's Week 14 matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Making matters worse, the pass rush of the Cowboys collapsed the 49ers' offensive line. Clark spiked the ball. Although it didn't play out exactly how "The Catch" did, it was just another sweet victory in early January for Clark. This article has all the answers that you need. 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. [7][8] Clark talked about how he was nervous playing quarterback in high school. "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. If that doesnt work, then keep rolling, you can run in if it's open. The 49ers representative convinced Clark to skip golf and serve as Fullers receiver during the quarterbacks workout. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 14 matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Walsh invited the receiver to come along and catch passes for his roommate. 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. Nine and a half yards deep in the end zone! 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 makes the famous touchdown catch thrown from Joe Montana to give the Niners a 28-27 win and helping them advance to the superbowl . 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. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 15 matchup vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Now, Gergen wrote of the play, Montana was throwing the most significant pass in 49er annals toward Clark. [25] Located in Redwood City, California, the restaurant was sold in 1993. [33] "I've been asked if playing football caused this," Clark wrote. He caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Joe Montana in the NFC Championship Game on January 10th, 1982 against the Dallas Cowboys. Required fields are marked *. 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, 28-27. What Clark displayed during the workout was something the 49ers and no other team had seen on tape. That would be Renaldo Snipes, who in November 1981 gave Holmes a surprisingly tough bout in Pittsburgh, including, by one account, a perfectly timed overhand right (that) connected cleanly with Holmes chin and caused the champions legs to fold up like a defective lawn chair collapsing under an unsuspecting party guest.. Dwight Clark, the former 49ers star best known for his leaping TD catch that won the NFC Championship Game in 1982, says he has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. 1 college football recruit. He was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams (XVI and XIX). In a game where the lead shifted back and forth repeatedly, the 49ers took over the ball at their own 11-yard line . When Walsh called to arrange a workout for Fuller, Clark happened to answer the phone. Initially serving Cajun food, it later switched to prime rib and seafood. 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark delivers a go-ahead touchdown in the 1981 NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No. The game was broadcast nationally in the United States by CBS. 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. Former NFL running back Warrick Dunn shared the story of how 49ers legend Joe Perry became the first Black NFL MVP. "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. The legendary moment that changed the 49ers and San Francisco sports' fortunes forever. The Niners would go on to win Super Bowl XVI, the first professional sports championship the city of San Francisco had ever experienced. Things got even better for Dallas when Walls recorded his second interception from Montana on the next drive at the Cowboys 27. The argument could be made that Walls was an indispensable piece of a Cowboys defense that helped the team reach the NFC Championship that year. 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. ", Holmes, of course, was heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. "It was exciting," Storey said. Except this time Montana, sprinting right, away from dominant Cowboys pass rusher Harvey Martin, faced a decision. With Brock Purdy and Trey Lance coming off injuries, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch didn't rule out adding a veteran signal-caller this offseason. 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark delivers a go-ahead touchdown in the 1981 NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No. Photo by John Storey/ San Francisco Examiner/Bancroft Library. The Catch: How one of the most iconic plays in NFL history tied Dwight Clark and Everson Walls together forever ORG XMIT: [NS_9Clark's Catch ] Headline: Caption: 1-9-95--- Dwight Clarks's catch in . Plus, back then, that was just football. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. The theme of Josh McDaniels' media session at the NFL Scouting Combine was consistently vague: After releasing Derek Carr, the Raiders are going to explore every avenue to address quarterback. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Two weeks later, they beat Cincinnati to win their first Super Bowl title and launch an incomparable stretch of five championships in 14 seasons. "At least I have a picture to prove it.". Your email address will not be published. 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. The first? And then Storey might not have snapped The Photo. 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. It wasn't a John Elway pass - that might have been somewhere in the bleachers, he threw so damn hard.". 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. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother and a great friend and teammate. Montana and the 49ers would defeat the Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI. Montana threw the ball to a location where only Clark could reach it; if he missed the catch it would have sailed harmlessly out of bounds. 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. That play, called simply "sprint right option," differed from the Clemson touchdown only in how it finished, but not in how it was designed. Clark, while discussing The Catch in America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions documentary about the 1981 49ers, said: It's humbling, really. "Back then, you didn't know (at first) if it was sharp.". Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, the play was immortalized in advertisements for Kodak film: a television commercial using a snippet of Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were" as its jingle and featuring The Catch as shown by NFL Films, and a magazine ad featuring a photo still of The Catch, accompanied by the caption, "The 49ers grab a TD and a title.". 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 cocked my arm to do that when I saw Dwight covered. So, Montana had to improvise. [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. In 2021, Kroichick earned an Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 award for his feature on Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee conquering cancer. Sep 20, 2019. An All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Clark was diagnosed with. Joe Montana. 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. Jan. 8, 2022 Updated: Jan. 8, 2022 6:04 p.m. 5. He later married Ashley Stone, whom he met during the summer of 1982. One of the most dramatic plays in NFL history took place 35 years ago. This was the winning touchdown reception that meant the 49ers were bound for the Super Bowl! Storey recalled jostling for position as the 49ers moved toward their go-ahead touchdown. That's the camera he used to track Montana as he drifted toward the opposite sideline, evaded the pass rush and eventually floated the ball toward the back of the end zone. [17], In the 1981 NFC Championship game, on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers trailed 2721 with 58 seconds to play. 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