2 on the "NFL 100 Greatest" ranking of the top 100 plays of all time. After the workout finished, Walsh was impressed with Clarks ability. [11] Unheralded as a collegian playing alongside wide receiver Jerry Butler, Clark felt fortunate to get to the NFL.[12]. 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. 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. Photo by John Storey/ San Francisco Examiner/Bancroft Library. Then he moved home to Charlotte, N.C., and began building luxury spec houses. With under a minute remaining and facing 3rd-and-3 from the Dallas 6-yard line, Montana rolled right, pump-faked, then fired to Clark, who made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. The Catch is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays in National Football League (NFL) history. Popular Mobile Games You Must Play In 2023, American football player and executive (1957-2018). In the Eastern time zone, Renfrow scored his touchdown on Jan. 10, exactly 35 years after Clark made "The Catch.". Solomon caught a quick sprintout pass from Montana for an 8-yard score. Kroichick writes features on the Warriors during the NBA season, and various other topics - ranging from the 49ers/NFL and major-league baseball to college football and basketball - the rest of the year. Jets general manager Joe Douglas confirmed that Derek Carr will meet with the team a second time during the combine, but New York plans to look at every available option in the veteran quarterback market. Clark tallied 506 catches for 6,750 yards and 48 touchdowns, along with 50 rushing yards in his nine NFL seasons with the 49ers. 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. "I'm sure the Dallas defense is saying, We forced six errors. And they'd be right. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 17 matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. I had the flu last week and I had trouble getting my breath on that last drive. The Catch is listed as #17. 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. 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. Watch Nick Bosa's performance at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Montana threw three interceptions, and Niners backs fumbled three times. 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. I don't know how I caught the ball. Clark finished the game with 8 catches for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. But I certainly suspect it did. 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. 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. 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. It was supposed to be a pass to Freddie Solomon, who scored on the play earlier in the game. That allowed the newspaper to fill its front page with the image of Clark reaching for the heavens to catch Montana's pass. Walsh invited the receiver to come along and catch passes for his roommate. Plus, back then, that was just football. Dwight's personality and his sense of humor endeared him to everyone he came into contact with, even during his most trying times. And Storey looked at the back of his camera to see if he captured the moment, right? THIS CHANNEL IS NOT MONETIZED , FOR ENTERTAINMENT , PROMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY !!! And how did it impact football? "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. I am honored to be able to be a part of a play that was kind of the culmination of just this incredible surprise season. You get it from somewhere.. 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. 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. In 2021, Kroichick earned an Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 award for his feature on Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee conquering cancer. The Philadelphia Eagles have promoted quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator and hired Sean Desai as defensive coordinator. 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]. 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. Caught! The sideline was crowded with people, as usual, but he found a desirable spot along one side of the north end zone - across the field from where Montana scrambled. Initially serving Cajun food, it later switched to prime rib and seafood. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger broke down San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's four-touchdown performance against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Wild Card Weekend. 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. The 49ers representative convinced Clark to skip golf and serve as Fullers receiver during the quarterbacks workout. You get dinged and you go back in or you stay in.. Barnwell forecasts offseason moves for all 32 NFL teams, Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore, Covered Rams for nine years for stlouisrams.com, Previously covered University of Missouri football, Member of Pro Football Writers of America. It's an extraordinary, enduring image - and, as Storey pointed out, it conveys Montana's touch as much as Clark's leaping ability. Montana looking, looking, throwing in the end zone Clark caught it! On Monday night, he was in Tampa to see Clemson, his alma mater, win the college football national championship in thrilling fashion. In 2002, Clark resigned from the Browns and returned to his roots in North Carolina where he operated a real estate business. Clark's got a touchdown! "[18], Clark died of the disease on June 4, 2018. Montana rolls out of the pocket, backpedals, pump fakes, spots Clark, throws the ball and a 49ers dynasty is born. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. And I was real tired. "At least I have a picture to prove it.". "I would have been happy to be 8-8, team president Ed DeBartolo Jr. said on the eve of the NFC title game against the Cowboys. This was a team, Joe Gergen wrote in The Sporting News, that bypassed mediocrity. 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. (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 . Today, I lost my little brother and one of my best friends. 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. The offense certainly took some pressure off my back., "Some people might call it a mistake-filled game, Walsh said afterward. Things got even better for Dallas when Walls recorded his second interception from Montana on the next drive at the Cowboys 27. Montana and the 49ers would defeat the Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI. 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark delivers a go-ahead touchdown in the 1981 NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No. 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. [7][8] Clark talked about how he was nervous playing quarterback in high school. "Everybody says they were there," Storey said of The Catch. 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. "You can see from the picture that Dwight is much taller than the defensive back," Storey, now 56 , said recently. 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. Guys would take my job. Storey suspected he had a good shot of The Catch, but he didn't know with certainty for several hours. In the entire franchise history of the NFL, only Dwight Clarks reception is commonly referred to as The Catch.. (Long pause for crowd reaction) It's a madhouse at Candlestick!". The play kicked off an . Clark played for the 49ers throughout his nine-year career. After the workout was over, Walsh was impressed. The game was broadcast on CBS and the call was made by the great Vin Scully. , who scored on the `` NFL 100 Greatest '' ranking of the Catch was. Then he moved home to Charlotte, N.C., and began building luxury spec houses during his most trying.... The newspaper to fill its front page with the image of Clark reaching the. The Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XVI he captured the moment,?. And the 49ers throughout his nine-year career Fullers receiver during the quarterbacks workout EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!!!... 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