Ex-49er Clark dies of ALS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dwight Clark, the former 49ers wide receiver whose leaping touchdown catch in 1982 is the greatest play in team lore and perhaps the most iconic moment of the modern NFL era, passed away Monday from complications of ALS. He was 61.

His wife, Kelly, broke the news on Clark’s Twitter account, which he used in March of last year to publicly announce that he had been diagnosed with ALS, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable neuro-muscular ailment that impairs the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. Clark began experiencing symptoms in September 2016.

“I’m heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband,” Kelly Clark wrote. “He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. I am thankful for all of Dwight’s friends, teammates and 49ers fans who have sent their love during his battle with ALS.”

Clark spent the last year visiting with friends and former teammates and reliving the memories of the team’s glorious past. Those visits began at the Clarks’ home in Capitola, Calif., before they moved in the spring to Whitefish, Mont.

His soaring, fingertip catch on Jan. 10 1982 — known forever as The Catch — propelled the 49ers over their bitter rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, and toward their first Super Bowl victory.