Joe Montana still fondly remembers former 49ers teammate Dwight Clark

TORONTO — They’ll forever be linked in football history, the brash quarterback and sure-handed receiver who helped kick-start the San Francisco 49ers’ NFL dynasty.

On Jan. 10, 1982, Joe Montana hit Dwight Clark with a six-yard TD pass with under a minute remaining, giving San Francisco a stunning 28-27 home win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC title game. The moment — with Montana escaping the Cowboys rush to loft a high pass to a leaping Clark, who stretched his six-foot-four frame to make the historic grab — was dubbed “The Catch.”

Two weeks later, Montana and Clark led San Francisco to the first of four Super Bowl titles in the 1980s, a 26-21 win over Cincinnati.

Clark died June 4, 2018 at the age of 61 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Montana spoke at Clark’s funeral, honoring the request Clark made of his good friend during a backyard barbecue.

“At that point in time, he looked normal and was getting around normal,” said Montana, in town Tuesday to do promotional work with DAZN, the live on-demand service that will live stream the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. “We were just barbecuing in his backyard drinking beer and out of blue he kind of brought it up because it was just him and I.

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Are the B.C. Conservatives digging their own graves?

14h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Culturally appropriate food goes beyond the ingredients on a plate

Dec 14, 2024

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

Dec 13, 2024

“It kind of caught me off guard more than anything. It’s hard that he’s gone but it was even harder watching him suffer going through what he went through. It’s just a God-awful disease.”

Clark and Montana spent nine seasons as teammates in San Francisco, both joining the club as rookies in 1979. While Montana was a third-round pick out of Notre Dame, the 49ers didn’t select Clark until the 10th round, No. 249 overall, from Clemson.

Both cracked San Francisco’s starting lineup, winning two Super Bowls together (1981, ’84). Clark retired as a player after the ’87 season having registered 506 career catches for 6,750 yards and 48 TDs. Twice he was named to the Pro Bowl and in 1982 was an All-Pro.

Clark would later serve as a 49ers executive (1990-98) before joining the Cleveland Browns as their executive vice-president of football operations (1999-01).

Montana, 62, remained with San Francisco through the ’92 season before finishing his career with Kansas City (1993-94). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

On Oct. 21, 2018, the 49ers unveiled statues of Montana and Clark at Levi’s Stadium to commemorate “The Catch.” One features Montana with his arms raised in celebration, the other shows Clark leaping to make the iconic catch. It also features a diagram of the game-winning play with Clark’s signature.

Montana, a four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time game MVP, said his former teammate was much more than just a clutch receiver. Clark liked keeping it light, often reminding Montana that the historic play was dubbed, “The Catch,” not “The Throw.”

“He always had a sense of humour,” said the 62-year-old Montana. “I used to give him such a hard time and tell him, ‘Jesus, Dwight, first of all it took you forever to get open.

“‘Then I throw you a pass and you’ve got to act so dramatic and kick your legs up, jump up and catch it with your fingertips.’ … I just couldn’t let him get away with it.”

The two were always on the prowl for an unlocked bicycle during training camp.

“At our camp, the practice field was up a hill and guys would ride bikes there,” Montana said. “We didn’t want to pedal up … so when we were done with practice, we’d take a bike and ride down the hill.

“Most people wouldn’t lock them and even when they did, there was always one bike that wasn’t and that was Bill’s (head coach Bill Walsh). So I’d take his and then I used to hide when I did it.”

Just for kicks, Clark and Montana decided to play a prank by locking their teammates’ bikes with a giant chain.

“We did that after one of our meetings,” Montana said with a chuckle. “We used to mess with the bikes all the time.

“They were an easy target. We had a lot of fun times.”

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press