Former 49er Clark dies of ALS at 61
SANTA CLARA — Dwight Clark, the former San Francisco 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 neuromuscular 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-ever Super Bowl victory. The 49ers retired Clark’s No. 87 jersey in 1988, one year after his final season, and he was part of the inaugural class in the 49ers’ Hall of Fame in 2009.
Speaking to how beloved Clark was, the man he beat to make his famous grab, Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls, was one of the 35 former players who came from all over the country to attend Dwight Clark Day in October when the 49ers hosted the Cowboys and honored their failing hero.
“I just want to see my teammates,” Clark told the crowd during a halftime speech. “And the 49ers heard that and
flew all these players in so I could see them one more time.”
Clark mostly was confined to a wheelchair at that point, but he rose and gave a warm and memorable speech, one that was full of gratitude, especially for Eddie DeBartolo Jr, who was at his side at the time and had been throughout the receiver’s ordeal. The former 49ers owner, famous for his compassion and largesse, organized a reunion of 49ers players at his Montana ranch in the spring.
“Forty years later, he’s still taking care of me,” Clark said of DeBartolo. “He’s called all over the world trying to find the best remedy for ALS. He’s sent me to Japan to get medicine there. I think I can never, ever thank the DeBartolo family and Eddie D. for what he’s done.”
DeBartolo issued a statement following his friend’s death.
“My heart is broken,” he said. “Today, I lost my little brother and one of my best friends. I cannot put into words how special Dwight was to me and to everyone his life touched. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother and a great friend and teammate. He showed tremendous courage and dignity in his battle with ALS and we hope there will soon be a cure for this horrendous disease. I will always remember Dwight the way he was — larger than life, handsome, charismatic and the only one who could pull off wearing a fur coat at our Super Bowl parade.”