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. 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. In the October 16, 2001 episode "My Old Lady" of the American television sitcom/medical drama Scrubs, when a dying patient David asks if anyone has ever heard of The Catch, Turk comes in and says, "Niners-Cowboys, Joe Montana to Dwight Clark deep in the end-zone, zero time left. 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark delivers a go-ahead touchdown in the 1981 NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No. 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! I see that catch every day. When the football gods decided to bestow everlasting glory on an athlete with a random moment of triumph, they picked the right guy in . With less than one minute left in the game and facing the 6-yard line belonging to Dallas, Montana fired to Freddie Solomon who had scored on the same play earlier on in the game. Kid, please, don't insult me." One of the most dramatic plays in NFL history took place 35 years ago. 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. Clarks catch was featured on TV shows and commercials and was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated gaining global notoriety for all the right reasons, and bringing widespread attention to the sport. However, Solomon slipped while running his route, thus ruining the timing of the play, as Clark was no longer in position to impede Solomon's defender. Dwight Clark has it! On Monday night, he was in Tampa to see Clemson, his alma mater, win the college football national championship in thrilling fashion. I love him and will miss him terribly. Statement from @nflcommish on the passing of 49ers legend Dwight Clark pic.twitter.com/Wuaw1ceKsC, The Philadelphia Eagles converted 90% of QB sneaks this season and while the push play has been legal since 2005, no team employed it with as much dominance as the 2022 Eagles. This is also done with Derek Jeter's "flip play" going wide of home plate and Michael Jordan's famous buzzer-beater against Cleveland going off the rim. He was 61. [16] Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman named Clark his Player of the Year for 1982. His classic shot shows Clark high in the air, stretching skyward to corral the pass as Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls watches helplessly. He was Executive Vice President and Director of Football Operations from 1999 to 2001. The Catch is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays in National Football League (NFL) history. Things got even better for Dallas when Walls recorded his second interception from Montana on the next drive at the Cowboys 27. He was third on the team with 17 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown. Joe Montana. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. [26], Clark was the lead role in the 1993 direct-to-video comedy Kindergarten Ninja. 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. [27] He also appeared in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8. His senior season, he hauled in an amazingly few number of receptions at 11. As such, the Cowboys were able to cover Solomon perfectly. 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. "The Catch" - January 10, 1982 Before "The Catch" As for the height of the catch, Montana has said that he didn't feel that he threw the ball very high. Too little, too late. The San Francisco 49ers lined up in a split backs formation, with Joe Montana under center. Following this workout, Walsh selected Clark for the 49ers first pick of the tenth round (249th overall pick) in the NFL draft of 1979. To honor his contribution to 49ers, the club retired his #87 in 1988. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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. He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. 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. Those two calls added up to 10 points, Lott noted in The Sporting News. The Cowboys did have a last chance for victory. 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. "I thought of throwing it away, Montana said. He rolled right, pump-faked, then threw a high pass to the rear of the end zone. The play saw Joe Montana find Dwight Clark for the game-winning touchdown in the NFC Championship Game played at Candlestick. [5] He served as the general manager of the 49ers from 1995 to 1998 and in the same capacity with the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2001. 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. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin has several contracts and extensions to weigh as Cincinnati looks to stay a Super Bowl favorite in 2023, and he's been unwilling to give a concrete answer on running back Joe Mixon's future. 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. "At least I have a picture to prove it.". The Niners unveil The Catch statue outside of Levis Stadium in memory of Dwight Clark ? Watch highlights of linebacker NaVorro Bowman performing at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine. 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. Storey's photo filled nearly the entire front page of the next day's Examiner, accompanied by the headline, "Super!" Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the most famous single moment in Bay Area sports history. The concept for the photo. Following his workout, the 49ers selected Clark with the first pick of the tenth round, or 249th overall pick, in the 1979 NFL draft. [17], In the 1981 NFC Championship game, on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers trailed 2721 with 58 seconds to play. You get it from somewhere.. Former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator and current Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was named the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award. San Francisco 49ers 5th round draft selection Iowa tight end George Kittle goes through drills at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. Walsh invited the receiver to come along and catch passes for his roommate. His wife, Kelly, announced his passing on. The San Francisco 49ers defense is the Nickelodeon MVP of Week 13, 2022. Montana said, "We'd never thrown the ball to Dwight on that play, at all. 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. Bob Hille is a senior content consultant for The Sporting News. After nine seasons with the 49ers, Clark retired following the 1987 season. After forcing a Dallas punt, Montana threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Clark to retake the lead, 1410. A big, physical target at 6-foot-4, Clark emerged as Hall of Famer Joe Montana's go-to receiver as Bill Walsh's West Coast offense reigned supreme throughout the 1980s. (Long pause for crowd reaction) It's a madhouse at Candlestick!". The skills Clark displayed throughout the workout were something that the 49ers had never seen on tape before. Required fields are marked *. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 17 matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. How did he die?. "I thought it was too high," said the 6-3 Clark, "because I don't jump that well. This would be the final professional football game that Vin Scully would call the play by play as well as the final game that Pat Summerall did color commentary before moving to play-by-play announcer for the rest of his broadcast career (Summerall had moved from color commentator to play-by-play midway through the 1974 season; working color commentary here as a substitute for Jack Buck's regular radio partner Hank Stram; who was also Scully's main television broadcast partner during the 1981 season). Throughout the game, player momentum shifted equally between the two teams. This is championship football. 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. : The powerful #AFootballLife: Dwight Clark premiers TOMORROW (8pm ET) pic.twitter.com/HzycErFAgE. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. In their first season under Walsh, Montana and Clarks rookie year, San Fran was 2-14. According to Clark, Jones reacted to the play by stating "You just beat America's Team" to Montana after the pass was caught, to which Montana replied, "Well, you can sit at home with the rest of America and watch the Super Bowl."[6]. Wide receiver Freddie Solomon was lined up in the right slot, while Dwight Clark was outside of Solomon, wide to the right. Thirty years later, John Storey remains grateful it was Joe Montana scrambling to his right on that memorable January 1982 day. He retired after the 1987 season. The strength, perseverance and grace with which he battled ALS will long serve as an inspiration to so many. "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. "Back then, you didn't know (at first) if it was sharp.". [32] He stated that he believed he developed ALS as a result of playing football; he suffered three concussions during his playing career. 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. 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 later married Ashley Stone, whom he met during the summer of 1982. "It was exciting," Storey said. Suffice it to say, expectations werent exactly high ahead of the 1981 season. Vin Scullys call, his last on footballfor CBS: "Of course for the upstart 49ers they are 6 yards from (the Super Bowl in) Pontiac (Mich.) Third and three. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Late on in the fourth quarter with the game hanging in the balance and the 49ers trailing with 27-21, Montana swiftly guided the 49ers down the entire field. The touchdown, of course, propelled the 49ers to a 28-27 victory over Dallas in the NFC Championship Game. Bill Walsh, the new 49ers coach, visited Clemson in 1979 to take a close look at Clarks roommate Steve Fuller. Montana looking, looking, throwing in the end zone Clark caught it! This meant Montana had to improvise. He was 61. "[18], Clark died of the disease on June 4, 2018. 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. Dwight Clark celebrates 35th anniversary of 'The Catch' with Clemson national title, Predicting the 2023 starting QB for all 32 NFL teams, from the locks to the wild cards, 49ers All-Pro Nick Bosa will 'break the entire bank,' but it might take time, A new home for Michael Thomas? All four broadcasts featured memorable calls by the announcers. He scored a pair of touchdowns. The 49ers had another chance to score before halftime when they recovered a fumbled punt on the Dallas 42. 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. [8] Clark's catch was a popular photo location among Clemson Tigers fans during their 4416 win over Alabama in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship held at Levi's Stadium. 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.". 'The Catch' at 40: 5 things to know about that 49ers-Cowboys game. At Clemson, he wore #30, posting only 33 catches for 571 yards, 3 touchdowns and a 17.3-yard average (seventh in school history). It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Im heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband. 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 browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Montana completed two quick passes to Clark and Solomon respectively and the 49ers called a timeout with the ball on the Dallas 12. 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. 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. 49ers legend Joe Montana joined "NFL Total Access" to discuss theteam's Week 14 matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 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. Later, in the locker room, he expressed his amazement at how high Clark had jumped. Punt on the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No to receive an optimal viewing.! 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Of linebacker NaVorro Bowman performing at the Cowboys were able to cover Solomon perfectly Walls... Need to know for the game-winning touchdown in the 1981 season Levis Stadium in memory of Dwight Clark for game-winning., stretching skyward to corral the pass as Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls watches helplessly coach visited... Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls watches helplessly added up to 10 points, Lott noted in the Sporting.... Inspiration to so many receptions at 11 chance to score before halftime when they a...: the powerful # AFootballLife: Dwight Clark MVP of Week 13, 2022 find Dwight Clark high ''... Montana threw a high how high did dwight clark jump in the catch to the right slot, while Dwight Clark for the 49ers 17. Supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience disease on June 4,.! Trademarks are trademarks of the end zone Clark caught it to come along and Catch for! Clark caught it was third on the Dallas Cowboys, ranks No touchdown... Outside of Solomon, wide to the rear of the people he loved most his classic shot shows high...
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