Editor’s Note: Joe Montana wrote an essay on his longtime friend and 49ers teammate Dwight Clark for the book “Letters to 87,” which raised money for the Golden Heart Fund. Clark died on June 4, 2018, after a two-year battle with ALS. The 49ers celebrate the legacy of Clark, whose number 87 is retired, each year on August 7 or July 8. Montana’s essay is reprinted here with permission from Cameron Books.
We didn’t think about it at the time. We didn’t realize how important it was back then. All we knew was we were going to the Super Bowl.
At this point, we couldn’t wait to go to our first Super Bowl. We weren’t looking back. But once the season was over and we won Super Bowl XVI, people started talking about The Catch and how important it was to pass us off as the Cowboys.
What everyone loved about Dwight was his personality. Even if he hadn’t caught this pass, his personality wouldn’t have changed. He was the same cheerful guy before The Catch as he was after.
1981 NFC Championship.
Travel to SB XVI on the line.
Joe Fresh. Dwight, clutch.Last chance to vote “The Catch” in the next round of the # NFL100 Best moment: https://t.co/RFwqlxM0KJ pic.twitter.com/GoS3shzV5j
– San Francisco 49ers (@ 49ers) January 22, 2020
We made it to the 49ers together in the 1979 draft. Dwight was an easy guy to like. We spent a lot of time working together before and after practice. The bond continued to build that way, as we laughed and joked with each other.
We lived together at first and ended up finding a place in Hayward on C Street. It was the only place we could afford. We made daily round trips across the bay to practice in Redwood City. After training, our car automatically went straight to Wendy’s. We ate together and did everything together.
To some extent, we have built the chemistry on the ground. But he was the perfect kind of receiver for any quarterback. He was a big target and could read tusks well. We had a lot of adjustments in this attack that had to be made after the game started. I knew where he was going to be. As a quarterback, you need people you can trust to be on the same page. If he and I weren’t on the same wavelength 100% of the time, we were 99.9% of the time. And when things broke, he was always looking for me. He would come back and try to help in any way he could.
DC was the best teammate. He’s a guy who played in college opposite Jerry Butler, one of the best receivers in the country at the time. Dwight never said a word. Then, after winning a few Super Bowls, here are John Taylor and Jerry Rice. It was a difficult transition from where he had been. He always put the team first. I’m sure one of the first things that came to his mind was, “I feel like I’m back at Clemson, playing behind an All-American.” But if he thought about it, he didn’t say anything – not even to me.
Dwight’s place in 49ers history was assured after making The Catch. In that game against the Cowboys, we never threw the ball at Dwight. It was essentially his job to define a screen for Freddie Solomon, the Inner Receiver. But Freddie slipped and fell. Dwight had to reach the baseline and cross the back. For me, it was just a matter of buying time until he got to where he needed to be.
He had a good position on defensive back Everson Walls, so I let the ball pass. I thought it was at arm’s length above his head. I didn’t know it was so high. I was run over and never saw him. But when he did The Catch, I heard the crowd roar. I thought, “Okay, hit, we scored.” I didn’t realize until later how awesome it was.
Chills, every time.
The Catch and the 1981 NFC Championship Game rank No.2 in the NFL’s 100 greatest games. @nflnetwork | # NFL100 pic.twitter.com/WZsmAscv2l
– San Francisco 49ers (@ 49ers) October 5, 2019
Over the years, Dwight totally understood how important this game was to all 49er fans, players and everyone associated with the team. It was great for him. It was something that allowed him to connect with fans on a personal level. He could come back to this game with great pride. It was a wonderful memory to be a part of something so big, not only in 49er history but also in NFL history.
Whenever you see something about memorable and important moments in NFL history, this game is shown.
But Dwight also realized that the whole team was needed. If Eric Wright doesn’t make this tackle, and if Lawrence Pillers doesn’t force this fumble, this game means nothing. Dwight never lost sight of that.
On October 21, 2018, the 49ers unveiled statues of Dwight and I outside Levi’s Stadium that depict The Catch. Unfortunately my old friend was not there to participate in the ceremony.
He would have loved it. He would have been the ultimate kid, acting like a typical diehard 49ers fan. It would have been Dwight. He would have had the best time in front of this statue, just soaking up the moment.
Seeing the statues for the first time was a humbling experience. You realize the importance of the moment that will always connect us.
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NBC Sports Bay Area to re-air documentary “Letters to 87” Friday at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Steve Young, Keena Turner, Mike Wilson and Jeff Clark, Dwight’s brother, will join Matt Maiocco at 2 p.m. on Friday to discuss DC’s legacy during a video conference. Click here at 2 p.m. to register.
