The Catch happened when Montana called Change Left Slot Sprint Right Option.. In the game, momentum shifted back and forth between the two teams. 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.. 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. But Snipes? 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. "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. Clark's got a touchdown! It was just a great life. Montana said, "We'd never thrown the ball to Dwight on that play, at all. Four plays later, White passed 21 yards to tight end Doug Cosbie for a touchdown and a 27-21 Cowboys lead in the fourth quarter. The touchdown, of course, propelled the 49ers to a 28-27 victory over Dallas in the NFC Championship Game. That allowed the newspaper to fill its front page with the image of Clark reaching for the heavens to catch Montana's pass. Today, I lost my little brother and one of my best friends. He led the NFL in receptions (60) during the strike-shortened 1982 season and made the Pro Bowl twice, in 1981 and 1982. Getty Dwight Clark Dwight Clark, the beloved wide receiver for the the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s, died on Monday. Following his sterling career on the field, Clark worked his way through San Francisco's front office, ultimately rising to general manager. 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. And high, as the play was intended. The Niners unveil The Catch statue outside of Levis Stadium in memory of Dwight Clark ? I didn't want to take a loss in that situation. San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana threw a touchdown pass . I may sit and think about that moment couple of times a year, and how awesome it was to be a part of that play and to be a part of the 49ers in the '80s. Montana launched his next pass into the end zone, but missed Solomon. 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. [34][35] At the time of his death, Clark lived in Whitefish, Montana, with his wife Kelly. Bill Walsh, the new 49ers coach, visited Clemson in 1979 to take a close look at Clarks roommate Steve Fuller. Dwight Clark leaves a Dallas defender in his dust after making. He later married Ashley Stone, whom he met during the summer of 1982. The game was broadcast nationally in the United States by CBS. 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. 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. Touchdown, San Francisco, by Dwight Clark! Following his workout, the 49ers selected Clark with the first pick of the tenth round, or 249th overall pick, in the 1979 NFL draft. The San Francisco 49ers defense is the Nickelodeon MVP of Week 13, 2022. 5 overall spot is a 'rare opportunity.'. It's a touchdown for the 49ers! 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 Clarks The Catch is now immortalized in the sporting world. -- The game will be highlighted by the unveiling of statues depicting "The Catch" outside of Levi's Stadium. One is "The Catch," which happened 40 years ago on Jan. 10, 1982. 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. In 2017, Clark shocked the sports world when he announced that he had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrigs Disease or ALS. 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. The Catch. 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 . Dallas responded with an 80-yard drive, including a controversial pass interference penalty on 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott which nullified his interception and gave the Cowboys a 35-yard gain to the San Francisco 12-yard line. Montana completed a 6-yard pass to Freddie Solomon to get the first down, then handed off twice to Elliot who gained eleven and seven yards respectively, but dropped a second incomplete pass on second-and-three from their own 41-yard line. 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. On radio, it was Jack Buck and Pat Summerall doing the play-by-play and color respectively. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. [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. Your email address will not be published. I never get tired of talking about it; I never get tired of seeing it, because I sign pictures and send them to people. "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. The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals shared a moment of support for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin before the teams' Week 18 matchup at Levi's Stadium. But the lingering image quickly became The Catch, partly because of Storey's shot and another famous photo by Sports Illustrated's Walter Iooss Jr. (which ran on the magazine's cover). [19] During the 1981 season, Walsh had Montana practice that part of the play back in training camp. At 6ft 4in (1.93m), his first love was basketball, but he accepted a scholarship to play college football at Clemson University.[9][10]. He was 61 years old. 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. 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 against the Dallas Cowboys 30 years ago which earned the 49ers its first Super Bowl appearance in 1982. 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. Weeks later, the 49ers drafted Clark in the 10th of 12 rounds, pairing him with their third-round quarterback from Notre Dame. Pearson would have scored had defensive back Eric Wright not made a one-handed horse-collar tackle. [17], In the 1981 NFC Championship game, on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers trailed 2721 with 58 seconds to play. 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. [13] New head coach Bill Walsh had visited Clemson to scout quarterback Steve Fuller, Clark's roommate. He left in 1998 to become the general manager of the expansion era Cleveland Browns. 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. Wide receiver Freddie Solomon was lined up in the right slot, while Dwight Clark was outside of Solomon, wide to the right. 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. The game was not over, however, and the Cowboys quarterback Danny White had 51 seconds following a Wersching squib kick to move the ball 75 yards. 1 college football recruit. Sports enterprise reporter Ron Kroichick has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1995, when he came from The Sacramento Bee. 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. 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. [16] Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman named Clark his Player of the Year for 1982. He was responsible for one of the most iconic plays in NFL history that began our run of Super Bowl championships, but to me, he will always be an extension of my family. The Catch is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays in National Football League (NFL) history. Former NFL running back Warrick Dunn shared the story of how 49ers legend Joe Perry became the first Black NFL MVP. 'The Catch' at 40: 5 things to know about that 49ers-Cowboys game. How did he die?. I don't know how I caught the ball. With 58 seconds left in the game, the 49ers faced 3rd down and 3 yards to gain on the Cowboys' 6-yard line. 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. They might not have finished the job without big plays from Eric Wright (game-saving tackle), Lawrence Pillers (forced fumble) and Jim Stuckey (fumble recovery) on Dallas' last-chance drive. Holmes survived the knockdown, as would the Niners against the Cowboys. The image, forever frozen in the minds eye, is the ball in the late Dwight Clarks fingertips, as he stretches above Everson Walls, who can only reach futilely with his right arm. Tag Lamar Jackson? ", Holmes, of course, was heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. John Taylor was better than I was, so I couldnt come out of the game. 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. This was a team, Joe Gergen wrote in The Sporting News, that bypassed mediocrity. 2 on the "NFL 100 Greatest" ranking of the top . 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. Programming note: Watch "Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure," a documentary chronicling the life of the legendary 49ers QB, exclusively on Peacock TV. What Clark displayed during the workout was something the 49ers and no other team had seen on tape. 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. The play kicked off an . 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 . Linebacker Dre Greenlaw joined 'NFL Now' ahead of the 49ers Divisional Round game vs. the Dallas Cowboys to preview the playoff matchup. The offense certainly took some pressure off my back., "Some people might call it a mistake-filled game, Walsh said afterward. As for the height of the catch, Montana has said that he didn't feel that he threw the ball very high. Clark curled into the end zone, braked at the end line and looked for his quarterback. Of all the impressive receptions ever made in the 100 years of the NFL, only Clarks reception from Joe Montana is called The Catch.He played his entire career for the San Francisco 49ers before retiring after the 1987 season. "That was Joe's genius, to throw it up there. The Catch is listed as #17. Although Pete Carroll seems to want QB Geno Smith back in 2023, the Seahawks HC said Tuesday that picking at the No. This is because Clark was never a featured receiver at Clemson. Clark spiked the ball. Thats because Clarks discovery came about by accident. (Long pause for crowd reaction) It's a madhouse at Candlestick!". New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen spoke to the media on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, updating reporters on contract negotiations with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. The legendary moment that changed the 49ers and San Francisco sports' fortunes forever. San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead talked about earning his third-consecutive Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination. In the Eastern time zone, Renfrow scored his touchdown on Jan. 10, exactly 35 years after Clark made "The Catch.". Reddit . But I certainly suspect it did. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. 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. It wasn't a John Elway pass - that might have been somewhere in the bleachers, he threw so damn hard.". Guys would take my job. "For almost four decades, he served as a charismatic ambassador for our team and the Bay Area. Turk later joins David in watching the game. Another quarterback might not have artfully lobbed his pass high into the end zone the way Montana did. Some people claimed that Montana was trying to throw the ball away, leaving time for a fourth down. Montana was was running out of room on the sideline. 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. Clark already had plans to play a round of golf and was about to head out to begin his game when he picked up the phone instead. (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 . [27] He also appeared in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8. Walsh invited the receiver to come along and catch passes for his roommate. Clark played college football at Clemson University and was selected by the 49ers in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark is known for making one of the most iconic catches during the 1981 NFC Championship game. Ron Kroichick has worked at the time of his death, Clark shocked the sports world when announced. The video game All-Pro Football 2K8 horse-collar tackle have been somewhere in the game, shifted. The Dallas Cowboys to preview the playoff matchup was Jack Buck and Pat Summerall doing the play-by-play and respectively! Is & quot ; the Catch happened when Montana called Change left Slot Sprint right Option `` some people that! Was Jack Buck and Pat Summerall doing the play-by-play and color respectively and between... 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