Dwight Clark may be gone but legacy will endure

When someone dies after suffering from a dastardly disease, one of the common narratives
becomes, “at least he (or she) is not suffering anymore.”

While the news may come as no surprise, upon hearing, the wound remains fresh but as more
time passes, you celebrate the person you remember.

On Monday, the San Francisco Bay Area lost one its iconic sports figures as 49er legend
Dwight Clark passed away at the age of 61 after a 15-month bout with ALS (Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis). The illness is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Clark was diagnosed
with the disease in March 2017.

The disease causes the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is characterized
by stiff muscles, muscle twitching and gradually worsening weakness due to muscles
decreasing in size. The cause is not known in 90-95 percent of cases. There is no known cure
for ALS.

This passing hits home for me on a different front. Nine years ago, one of my friends since
high school lost his father to the same illness. I long for a day that they find a cure so we can
see the unbeaten streak of ALS finally end.

Clark’s passing sent shockwaves throughout the Bay Area as well as much of the country.
Given the expected nature of his passing, the news especially conjured up memories of
Clark the player and person. Various former teammates, coaches and team executives
throughout the day evoked their heartfelt memories. Local and national TV outlets aired
touching tributes. In addition, various fans have shared their memories.  

The first memory of Clark anyone thinks of only takes two words to describe -- “The Catch.”
The play was known as Sprint Right Option as the upstart 49ers faced third down and 3 from
the Dallas Cowboys’ 6-yard line in the NFC Championship Game in January 1982 against
their nemesis, trailing 27-21 with :58 seconds remaining. Quarterback Joe Montana rolled
out to his right, pumpfaked to get defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones to leave his feet.
Montana then unfurled a pass high into the back of the end zone as Clark climbed the
imaginary ladder despite being well-covered by Everson Walls. The 49ers were doormats in
the late 1970s before rising to prominence.

That game changed the balance of power in the NFC because the Cowboys, along with
Minnesota, were the conference’s dominant teams in the 1970s. From that point, the
Cowboys went sideways the rest of the decade before rising up again in the 1990s while
the 49ers began a run of five Super Bowl championships in 13 seasons.

I had developed an interest in the 49ers thanks to my dad and brother. I spent a lot of time
with both going to games at Candlestick Park. That moment, however, sealed it for my 49er
fandom. I remember as a kid throwing the football with my cousins, we would try to reenact
that play with one of us playing the role of Montana and the other being Clark. I could
perfect the throwing high part like Montana but not quite the jumping high part like Clark.
Plus, I was not 6-foot-4. I was a skinny kid that thought he would grow tall but I only
reached 5-foot-6, maybe 5-7 on a good hair day.  

Before that run of championships by the 49ers, the Bay Area sports titles were in the East
Bay with the Oakland Athletics winning three straight World Series and the Oakland Raiders
winning two Super Bowls. I leave out the Golden State Warriors 1975 NBA title because
since there is only one NBA team, the Warriors are the Bay Area’s team. Since the East Bay
is the overlooked part of the Bay Area, their titles did not resonate as much even though
San Francisco sports teams had their peaks and valleys -- but no championships.

Though I never had the pleasure of meeting Clark, I remember my dad treating my cousins
and I to a trip to 49ers training camp in Rocklin, CA, near Sacramento. My Lord the heat
was oppressive beyond belief. Watching Clark run precise routes with Montana delivering
the ball with pinpoint accuracy was a thing of beauty. The chemistry was like watching a
football version of the pick-and-roll.

Though the 49ers have had players with more statistically decorated careers, there will never
be another Dwight Clark. In his nine-year career, Clark ranked third and fourth in franchise
history in receiving yards (6,750) and receptions (506), respectively as he became Montana’s
security blanket as coach Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense reigned supreme in the 1980s.

Though most people cannot relate to being 6-foot-4, Clark was someone the 49ers discovered
by accident. Walsh was headed to Clemson, Clark’s alma mater, to scout quarterback Steve
Fuller. When Walsh called, Clark answered the phone and Walsh invited him to catch passes
from Fuller. The 49ers selected Clark in the 10th round of the 1979 draft. The rest as they say
is history. There is something to be said for not being the anointed one and rising to
prominence.

After his career, Clark worked in the 49ers front office and eventually became general
manager before becoming Director of Football Operations for the Cleveland Browns. Though
his career as an executive paled in comparison to him as a player, Clark was an even better
person.

He had that All-American feel, affable sense of humor, tall and handsome coupled with a
Southern gentlemanly charm.

Though Clark is no longer physically suffering, he is catching passes in heaven from God.
Maybe one day, ALS will not be undefeated.