Dwight Clark

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American football player and executive (1957–2018)

title: "Dwight Clark" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1957-births", "2018-deaths", "american-football-wide-receivers", "clemson-tigers-football-players", "cleveland-browns-executives", "deaths-from-motor-neuron-disease-in-the-united-states", "national-conference-pro-bowl-players", "nfl-general-managers", "nfl-players-with-retired-numbers", "neurological-disease-deaths-in-montana", "players-of-american-football-from-charlotte,-north-carolina", "san-francisco-49ers-executives", "san-francisco-49ers-players", "sportspeople-from-charlotte,-north-carolina"] description: "American football player and executive (1957–2018)" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Clark" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American football player and executive (1957–2018) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox NFL biography"]

FieldValue
nameDwight Clark
imageDwight_Clark.png
captionClark in 2015
number87
positionWide receiver
birth_date
birth_placeKinston, North Carolina, U.S.
death_date
death_placeWhitefish, Montana, U.S.
height_ft6
height_in4
weight_lb212
high_schoolGaringer
(Charlotte, North Carolina)
collegeClemson (1975–1978)
draftyear1979
draftround10
draftpick249
pastteams* San Francisco 49ers ()
pastexecutive* San Francisco 49ers ()
Executive administrative assistant
highlights* 2× Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX)
statlabel1Receptions
statvalue1506
statlabel2Receiving yards
statvalue26,750
statlabel3Receiving touchdowns
statvalue348
pfrClarDw00
pfrexecClarDw0
::

| name = Dwight Clark | image = Dwight_Clark.png | alt = | caption = Clark in 2015 | number = 87 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = | birth_place = Kinston, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Whitefish, Montana, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lb = 212 | high_school = Garinger (Charlotte, North Carolina) | college = Clemson (1975–1978) | draftyear = 1979 | draftround = 10 | draftpick = 249 | pastteams = * San Francisco 49ers () | pastexecutive = * San Francisco 49ers () Executive administrative assistant

Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football wide receiver who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 1987. He was a member of San Francisco's first two Super Bowl championship teams.

He caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Joe Montana in the NFC Championship Game on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys. The play, immortalized as "the Catch", propelled the 49ers to their first Super Bowl championship. Clark played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the 49ers in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL draft. He served as the general manager of the 49ers from 1995 to 1998 and in the same capacity with the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2001.

Early life

Clark was born on January 8, 1957, in Kinston, North Carolina. He graduated from Garinger High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he played quarterback.

College career

At , Clark's first love was basketball, but he accepted a scholarship to play college football at Clemson University.

As a freshman, Clark was moved to wide receiver, because the team had recruited four other quarterbacks. As a sophomore, he was named the starter at strong safety, but he disliked the position and left school to go back to his hometown in Charlotte instead. Clark was unhappy and considered transferring to play basketball at Appalachian State University, until he was finally allowed to play offense. After returning to the team, he was a backup wide receiver and finished with five receptions for 99 yards and a 19.8-yard average.

As a junior, Clark was named a starter at wide receiver and was part of the team that qualified Clemson to the Gator Bowl, its first bowl game in 18 years. He was third on the team with 17 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown.

In Clark's senior season in 1978, the Tigers were 11–1, won the Gator Bowl over Ohio State, and finished sixth in the final AP poll. 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.

At Clemson, Clark wore #30, posting only 33 catches for 571 yards, three touchdowns and a 17.3-yard average (seventh in school history). Unheralded as a collegian playing alongside wide receiver Jerry Butler, Clark felt fortunate to get to the NFL.

In 1988, Clark was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was inducted into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame.

Professional career

The San Francisco 49ers selected Clark with the first pick of the tenth round (249th overall) of the 1979 NFL draft, even though some people in the organization questioned the selection at the time, considering he was seen as an undrafted free agent. New head coach Bill Walsh had visited Clemson to scout quarterback Steve Fuller, Clark's roommate. When the 49er contingent arrived on campus, Clark answered the phone by chance on his way out to play golf and was convinced to participate as Fuller's pass catcher at the workout, where Walsh was impressed with his receiving skills.

The 49ers were 2–14 in 1978 and had the same record in 1979. But they soon greatly improved, winning the Super Bowl at the ends of the 1981 and 1984 seasons, and, starting in 1981, making the playoffs every year Clark was with them except 1982.

Clark tallied 506 catches for 6,750 yards and 48 touchdowns, along with 50 rushing yards in his nine NFL seasons with the 49ers. He led the NFL in receptions (60) during the strike-shortened 1982 season and made the Pro Bowl twice, in 1981 and 1982. Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman named Clark his Player of the Year for 1982.

The Catch

Main article: The Catch (American football)

In the 1981 NFC Championship game, on January 10, 1982, against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers trailed 27–21 with 58 seconds to play. On 3rd-and-3, Clark leaped and caught a 6-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana in the back of the end zone to tie the score, and Ray Wersching's extra-point kick advanced the 49ers to Super Bowl XVI. Clark finished the game with eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. During the 1981 season, Walsh had Montana practice that part of the play back in training camp. Montana said, "We'd never thrown the ball to Dwight on that play, at all." 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.

Retirement and legacy

thumb|Clark during number 87 retirement ceremony, December 1988 After nine seasons with the 49ers, Clark retired following the 1987 season. He was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams (XVI and XIX). To honor his contribution to 49ers, the club retired his #87 in 1988. He served as a team executive for the 49ers until 1998, when he resigned to become the first general manager in the expansion era of the Cleveland Browns, after following Carmen Policy who would run the team under the ownership of Al Lerner. In their first draft in 1999, the Browns went for quarterback Tim Couch, deciding to reject the calls from the Saints that offered their entire array of draft picks in order to try and draft Ricky Williams. He was executive vice president and director of football operations from 1999 to 2001.

On May 14, 2002, he resigned from his position with the Browns after new head coach Butch Davis requested the right to make personnel decisions. In the 2018 NFL Films documentary Dwight Clark: A Football Life, he was quoted as saying that it was probably a mistake to have accepted the position. He would later return to North Carolina to run his real estate business.

Clark built his restaurant, Clark's By The Bay, the year he retired and decorated it with sports memorabilia including The Catch. Initially serving Cajun food, it later switched to prime rib and seafood. Located in Redwood City, California, the restaurant was sold in 1993.

Media appearances

Clark joined his 49er teammates Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Riki Ellison in performing backup vocals on Huey Lewis and the News hit songs "Hip to Be Square" and "I Know What I Like" for the band's Fore! album. Huey Lewis later indicated he was impressed by Clark's singing abilities. Clark later took the lead role in the 1993 direct-to-video comedy Kindergarten Ninja. He also appeared in the video game All-Pro Football 2K8. He joined Comcast SportsNet Bay Area in 2011 as an analyst for 49ers Postgame Live. Post-retirement, Clark expressed remorse about the end of Candlestick Park, saying that "It was a dump [but] it was our dump, so we could talk bad about it, but we didn't want anybody else to talk bad about it."

NFL career statistics

::data[format=table]

Legend
Bold
::

::data[format=table]

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumGPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDY/G1979SF1980SF1981SF1982SF1983SF1984SF1985SF1986SF1987SFCareer134975066,75013.3804850.44
1631823212.930014.50
16128299112.171861.92
1616851,10513.078469.10
986091315.2515101.41
16137084012.046852.50
16145288016.980655.00
16145470513.1491044.10
16146179413.045249.60
1332429012.140522.31
::

Personal life

Clark dated Miss Universe Shawn Weatherly from 1978 to 1982.

Clark met Ashley Stone in 1982; they married the following year. He had three children with Stone: a daughter, Casey, and two sons, Riley and Mac. They divorced in 2009. Clark married Kelly Radzikowski in 2011. They moved to Santa Cruz.

Illness and death

On March 19, 2017, Clark announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He stated that he believed he developed ALS as a result of playing football; he suffered three concussions during his playing career. "I've been asked if playing football caused this," Clark wrote. "I don't know for sure, but I certainly suspect it did, and I encourage the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the NFL to continue working together in their efforts to make the game of football safer, especially as it relates to head trauma."

Clark died of the disease on June 4, 2018. At the time of his death, Clark lived in Whitefish, Montana, with his wife Kelly. He was the father-in-law of former NHL defenseman Peter Harrold. Clark had a close friendship with former 49ers owner Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. DeBartolo sent Clark to Japan in 2017 to bring back a three-month supply of the drug Radicava before it became available in the United States.

References

References

  1. Branch, Eric. (June 4, 2018). "49er great Dwight Clark – receiver who made The Catch – dies at 61". [[Hearst Corporation]].
  2. Ballard, Chris. (May 2, 2018). "The last huddle". [[Meredith Corporation]].
  3. Zimmerman, Paul. (January 18, 1982). "Off on the wrong foot". [[Meredith Corporation]].
  4. (January 11, 1982). "Clark's catch caps comeback". [[Cowles Company]].
  5. (July 11, 2014). "NFL Nation". [[ESPN Inc.]].
  6. News services and staff reports. (June 5, 2018). "Dwight Clark, San Francisco 49ers receiver who made 'The Catch,' dies at 61". WP Company and [[Jeff Bezos#The Washington Post.
  7. Fowler, Scott. (June 4, 2018). "One of Charlotte's greatest pro athletes has died.". [[The McClatchy Company]].
  8. Brown, Daniel. (June 4, 2018). "Dwight Clark, 49ers receiver of The Catch, dead at 61". [[MediaNews Group]].
  9. (June 4, 2018). "Former Clemson great Dwight Clark passes". [[Clemson Tigers]].
  10. Connolly, Matt. (June 4, 2018). "Dwight Clark of Clemson football, 49ers fame dies from ALS". [[The McClatchy Company]].
  11. Lupica, Mike. (January 18, 1985). "The Catch Looms Larger Than Life". [[tronc.
  12. Cohn, Lowell. (June 4, 2018). "Illness robbed us of Dwight Clark, but not of his spirit". Sonoma Media Investments.
  13. McDonald, Jerry. (October 28, 2016). "49ers flashback: 1979 team was dreadful despite Walsh, Montana, O.J. and Al Cowlings". [[Digital First Media]].
  14. Brown, Daniel. (October 23, 2017). "49ers icon Dwight Clark: 'I need your prayers and thoughts'". [[Digital First Media]].
  15. "Dwight Clark Stats". Sports Reference.
  16. Murphy, Austin. (January 10, 1983). "The Cream Of A Sour Season". [[Meredith Corporation]].
  17. "NFC Championship – Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers – January 10th, 1982". Sports Reference.
  18. Swan, Gary. (December 15, 1997). "The 8th 49er to Have His Number Retired". [[Hearst Corporation]].
  19. Wood, Matt. (January 11, 2010). "A Look Back: 1999 NFL Draft".
  20. Cabot, Mary Kay. (June 4, 2018). "Former Browns GM Dwight Clark dies after battle with ALS". [[Advance Publications]] (Newhouse Newspapers).
  21. (May 14, 2002). "Dwight Clark leaving Browns". [[Block Communications]].
  22. (November 2, 2018). "Dwight Clark".
  23. Benson, Lee. (January 16, 1994). "CATCH THAT CHANGED 49ER HISTORY REVISITED". [[Deseret News]].
  24. Zimmerman, Steve. (1996). "Clark's by the Bay".
  25. Irwin, Corey. (January 21, 2022). "When Huey Lewis Recruited 49ers Stars as Backup Singers".
  26. "Kindergarten Ninja (1993)". [[Fandango Media]].
  27. Lynch, Kevin. (December 18, 2013). "Dwight Clark: Leaving Candlestick Park is "bittersweet" – Niner Insider". [[Hearst Corporation]].
  28. "Dwight Clark Stats".
  29. Farber, Nancy. (January 21, 1985). "San Francisco's Top Receiver Dwight Clark, Thinks His Best Catch May Be His Wife, Ashley". [[Meredith Corporation]].
  30. Goronja, Ariel. (June 5, 2018). "Dwight Clark's Family & Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know".
  31. (January 18, 1985). "The Catch looms larger than life". South Florida Media Company.
  32. (4 December 2013). "Dwight Clark's comeback route".
  33. Maiocco, Matt. (June 4, 2018). "49ers legend Dwight Clark, 61, dies of ALS". [[NBC Sports Group]].
  34. Goldstein, Richard. (June 5, 2018). "Dwight Clark, 61, Dies; Made a Touchdown Catch for the Ages". [[The New York Times]].
  35. Mano, Daniel. (March 19, 2017). "49ers legend Dwight Clark announces ALS diagnosis". [[Digital First Media]].
  36. Maiocco, Matt. (February 27, 2018). "Dwight Clark stands by his statement that playing football gave him ALS". [[NBC Sports Group]].
  37. Brown, Daniel. (June 4, 2018). "Dwight Clark, former 49ers wide receiver, dead at 61". [[Digital First Media]].
  38. Reed, Jesse. (June 4, 2018). "Kelly Clark announces Dwight Clark has passed away". [[Microsoft]].
  39. Killion, Ann. (June 4, 2014). "Dwight Clark's death leaves a void in San Francisco's heart". [[Hearst Corporation]].
  40. Dougherty, Pete. (October 14, 2011). "Promise of more game time lures defenseman to Devils". [[Hearst Communications]].

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1957-births2018-deathsamerican-football-wide-receiversclemson-tigers-football-playerscleveland-browns-executivesdeaths-from-motor-neuron-disease-in-the-united-statesnational-conference-pro-bowl-playersnfl-general-managersnfl-players-with-retired-numbersneurological-disease-deaths-in-montanaplayers-of-american-football-from-charlotte,-north-carolinasan-francisco-49ers-executivessan-francisco-49ers-playerssportspeople-from-charlotte,-north-carolina