49ers legend Clark, of ‘The Catch,’ dead of ALS

Clark got a big pay raise after that season, just before NFL players went on strike in 1982. That led to a stretch Clark called “the most incredible 57 days of my life.”

“So, we play two games and then go on strike,” Clark said. “And I’ve got that place, money, notoriety, and a Super Bowl ring. It was like being Huey Lewis.”

That was a far cry from Clark’s humble beginnings with the team, when Montana confused him for a kicker when they were introduced. It wasn’t long, though, until the quarterback determined the rookie receiver was remarkably sure-handed – even though Clark wasn’t confident he’d make the roster.

“Looking around the team, you could tell that he was probably as good as there was on that team at that point,” Montana told The Times in January. “But he never ever unpacked his bags.”

Clark would go on to have a nine-year NFL career, all with the 49ers, and currently has spots in the club record books with the fourthmost catches (506), third-most yards (6,750), sixth-most touchdown receptions (48) and third in consecutive games with a reception (105).

In a cruel twist, it was Clark’s hands that gave him the first hint of his ALS. Three years ago, they began to lose strength. Eventually, his legs followed suit. He needed a walker to go short distances, then was confined to a motorized wheelchair. He withered from his playing weight of 242 pounds to a gaunt 155 before regaining a bit with the help of a feeding tube.

Fueled by ample anecdotal evidence, researchers continue to look for a definitive link between brain injuries and ALS. Clark’s staggering medical costs were offset by what he received from the NFL concussion settlement, and from the support of former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, who sent him to Japan where he could be treated with experimental drugs.

Clark is survived by his wife and three children from a previous marriage, daughter Casey and sons Riley and Mac.