Walsh invited the receiver to come along and catch passes for his roommate. "I thought it was too high," said the 6-3 Clark, "because I don't jump that well. 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]. 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. "[20] In the early 1990s, Clark's catch had become the most requested clip in the archives of NFL Films, which was charging up to $5,000 for its use.[11]. That play, called simply "sprint right option," differed from the Clemson touchdown only in how it finished, but not in how it was designed. The Catch was the reason for a resurgence in visitors to the city after a tough couple of years caused by lots of negative press coverage. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. That allowed the newspaper to fill its front page with the image of Clark reaching for the heavens to catch Montana's pass. Weeks later, the 49ers drafted Clark in the 10th of 12 rounds, pairing him with their third-round quarterback from Notre Dame. Touchdown! Having taken the lead on Clarks catch and the PAT, the 49ers saw their defense snuffout a potential miracle Cowboys finish when Lawrence Pillers sacked Dallas QB Danny White, causing a fumble recovered by the Niners Jim Stuckey. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw joined 'NFL Now' ahead of the 49ers Divisional Round game vs. the Dallas Cowboys to preview the playoff matchup. In fact, before his infamous part in The Catch, the Cowboys cornerback had recovered a fumble by the 49ers Walt Easley. Bob Hille is a senior content consultant for The Sporting News. One minute into the fourth quarter, Septin kicked a 22-yard field goal that cut the scoring difference down to 1 point at 2120. 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. The offense certainly took some pressure off my back., "Some people might call it a mistake-filled game, Walsh said afterward. However, Solomon, as Montanas intended receiver, was covered by 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. 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. And, in fact, it was the Cowboys who made the final, fatal mistake. Your email address will not be published. He was Executive Vice President and Director of Football Operations from 1999 to 2001. The play saw Joe Montana find Dwight Clark for the game-winning touchdown in the NFC Championship Game played at Candlestick. The Catch is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays in National Football League (NFL) history. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. On Sunday, Clark celebrated his 60th birthday. At Clemson, he wore #30, posting only 33 catches for 571 yards, 3 touchdowns and a 17.3-yard average (seventh in school history). In the second quarter, Clark caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Montana that gave the 49ers a 14-10 lead. And then Storey might not have snapped The Photo. 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. 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. And Storey looked at the back of his camera to see if he captured the moment, right? I never get tired of talking about it; I never get tired of seeing it, because I sign pictures and send them to people. The 49ers went on to dominate the NFL throughout the remainder of the 1980s, winning four titles within the decade. Clark played for the 49ers throughout his nine-year career. And now we come to a catch that truly changed the game of football forever. In 2002, the NFL ran a series of advertisements promoting the playoffs, using famous plays as a uniting theme. Clark played college football at Clemson University and was selected by the 49ers in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. The representation of Clark, with his hands outstretched, will extend 11 . Not only did San Franciscos winstart a dynasty, but its victory over Dallas also signaled the impending end of another: theCowboys underlegendary coach Tom Landry. The NFL's 2023 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, the Hall announced Tuesday. "For almost four decades, he served as a charismatic ambassador for our team and the Bay Area. In the Niners' version, Montana's first read was supposed to be receiver Freddie Solomon, who was supposed to shake loose via pick, just as Renfrow did. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. 2 on the "NFL 100 Greatest" ranking of the top 100 plays of all time. 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. 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. Future Hall of Fame DB Ronnie Lott was flagged twice for crucial pass interference calls that extended Cowboys drives. This included a 45-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys earlier on in the year. One is "The Catch," which happened 40 years ago on Jan. 10, 1982. Third and three. "The San Francisco 49ers family has suffered a tremendous loss today with the passing of Dwight Clark," the team announced in a statement. The play kicked off an . Holmes survived the knockdown, as would the Niners against the Cowboys. Advertisement. The crowd erupted. How did he die?. Dallas responded with Danny White's 20-yard pass to Butch Johnson setting up a 44-yard field goal by Rafael Septin. The NFL's highest-paid players at every position: Here's who makes the most money, from QB to punter, Trade for Aaron Rodgers? The team retired his jersey in 1988. John Taylor was better than I was, so I couldnt come out of the game. Former NFL running back Warrick Dunn shared the story of how 49ers legend Joe Perry became the first Black NFL MVP. 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. 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. 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. In 2002, Clark resigned from the Browns and returned to his roots in North Carolina where he operated a real estate business. 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. The touchdown, of course, propelled the 49ers to a 28-27 victory over Dallas in the NFC Championship Game. 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.". On television, Vin Scully called the play-by-play and Hank Stram did the color commentary. This was a team, Joe Gergen wrote in The Sporting News, that bypassed mediocrity. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 14 matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the Eastern time zone, Renfrow scored his touchdown on Jan. 10, exactly 35 years after Clark made "The Catch.". Throughout the game, player momentum shifted equally between the two teams. We won't call this on fourth down. The play that afforded Watson the chance to throw or run for the score and sprung Renfrow with the pick/rub play had a striking resemblance to the play in which Montana found Clark. He scored a pair of touchdowns. After San Francisco forced Dallas to punt on the opening drive, quarterback Joe Montana completed a 17-yard pass to Charle Young and a 24-yarder to Lenvil Elliott before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon. His senior season, he hauled in an amazingly few number of receptions at 11. You get dinged and you go back in or you stay in.. Dwight Clark leaves a Dallas defender in his dust after making. On radio, it was Jack Buck and Pat Summerall doing the play-by-play and color respectively. I see that catch every day. 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 Catch. Here's NFL Network's list of everything you need to know for the 49ers Week 17 matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. His wife . San Francisco 49ers third round draft selection BYU linebacker Fred Warner goes through drills at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. 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. [16][31], Clark married Kelly Radzikowski in 2011. 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. The rest is history, as Montana-to-Clark became one of the greatest connections in NFL lore. But how did it occur? 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). In fact, beginning in 1986, the Cowboys went on to suffer losing seasons for the remainder of the eighties, leading to head coach Tom Landry being fired by new owner Jerry Jones after the 1988 season. 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. Following his sterling career on the field, Clark worked his way through San Francisco's front office, ultimately rising to general manager. "That was Joe's genius, to throw it up there. 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. So, Montana had to improvise. "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. The Catch symbolized the end of the Cowboys' domination in the NFC since the conference's inception in 1970, and the beginning of the 49ers' rise as an NFL dynasty in the 1980s. I love him and will miss him terribly. San Francisco 49ers legend Dwight Clark passed away Monday at the age of 61, his family confirmed. 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. Dwight's personality and his sense of humor endeared him to everyone he came into contact with, even during his most trying times. Too little, too late. He was second on the team with 11 receptions for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a career-high 68-yard touchdown catch against the University of Maryland that helped the Tigers win the ACC Championship. [1] [2] He was a member of San Francisco's first two Super Bowl championship teams. San Francisco 49ers 5th round draft selection Iowa tight end George Kittle goes through drills at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. And then Dwight Clark might not have made The Catch. New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, a Bay Area native who ultimately grew up idolizing Montana on his way to his own successful NFL career including seven Super Bowl wins, attended the game as a four-year-old and aspired to become a 49er.[7]. 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. Suffice it to say, expectations werent exactly high ahead of the 1981 season. "Back then, you didn't know (at first) if it was sharp.". After a couple of early-season losses in 1981, San Francisco, with Montana in charge, cruised into the playoffs with a 13-3 record, which included a 45-14 thumping of the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the year. He also earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 1982 and won an additional Super Bowl in 1984. 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, 2827. 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! CNN Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark died Monday at age 61 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The ensuing extra point by kicker Ray Wersching gave the 49ers a 2827 lead. He went on to become Director of Football Operations for the reconstituted Cleveland Browns from 1999-2002. Clark disputes that assertion, claiming that it was a backup plan that they practiced many times. Montana and the 49ers would defeat the Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI. I had the flu last week and I had trouble getting my breath on that last drive. I'll be at an autograph thing, there'll be a 10-year old kid saying, "You're The Catch. Initially serving Cajun food, it later switched to prime rib and seafood. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Plus, back then, that was just football. It came at the end of a 14-play, 83-yard game-winning drive engineered by Montana. [20] They moved to Santa Cruz. The 49ers then drove to the Dallas 16-yard line, but once again they failed to score when Montana threw a pass that bounced out of Elliot's hands and was intercepted by Randy White. The Catch and Ray Werschings ensuing PAT gave the 49ers a 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Tag Lamar Jackson? In October 2018, the 49ers unveiled a statue outside of Levis Stadium featuring Clark making his famous catch. The 49ers defeated the New York Giants in the divisional round and then went on to verse the Cowboys in a tense rematch with lots more on the line a link directly to the Superbowl XVI. After suffering through several losses early on in the 1981 season, the Montana-led 49ers cruised straight into the playoffs with an impressive record. He also won another Super Bowl in 1984. Although Pete Carroll seems to want QB Geno Smith back in 2023, the Seahawks HC said Tuesday that picking at the No. 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. 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. [27] He also appeared in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8. 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. He was 61 years old. Montana, looking looking throwing in the end zone. To honor his contribution to 49ers, the club retired his #87 in 1988. In the Eastern time zone, Renfrow scored his touchdown on Jan. 10, exactly 35 years after Clark made "The Catch." Dwight Clark's catch beat the Cowboys and remains one of the iconic moments in NFL . ", "More importantly," Silver recalled, "Clark taught me that a man could live out a remarkable dream, emerge as a beloved icon for one of America's most storied cities, receive the spoils that come with such a regal role -- and never, ever act as though he were owed a morsel of it.". It's like a championship fight, like Snipes knocking down Holmes. Even then, before the spate of titles, this was a transcendent moment in Bay Area sports - the 49ers had finally conquered the Cowboys. As for the height of the catch, Montana has said that he didn't feel that he threw the ball very high. 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. So you just kind of shake it off. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. On August 5, 2007, The Best Damn Sports Show Period did a special show commemorating the top 50 amazing sports catches of all time. Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the most famous single moment in Bay Area sports history. [11] Unheralded as a collegian playing alongside wide receiver Jerry Butler, Clark felt fortunate to get to the NFL.[12]. Scott Ostler. All four broadcasts featured memorable calls by the announcers. 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. 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