49ers Clubhouse - Dwight Clark

The image of Dwight Clark leaping into a darkening sky and snagging a pass to send the 49ers to their first Super Bowl is indelibly etched in the memory of the 49ers fans. No one will forget "The Catch". It's a play that will live on for ever.
Dwight Clark is a great exemple of how Bill Walsh made indipendent decisions. Walsh was looking for a quarterback in the 1979 draft, and he had gone to Clemson to scout Steve Fuller who threw to Clark in workouts for the 49ers. Walsh quickly dismissed Fuller as a draft possibility, but was intrigued by Clark, who hadn't even been Clemson's number one receiver that season. Walsh liked a big wide receiver who could catch passes over the middle and take punishment, and Clark was exactly that kind of receiver. The 49ers took him in the 10th round of the 1979 draft, surprising Clark as much as anybody. He cought only 33 passes in his three years of college action. "I was just real excited about the opportunity," Clark said, "and i thought that was all it was, an opportunity to come out here and have a tryout, and then be cut".
That first year was also memorable becouse in training camp Clark met quarterback Joe Montana, and the two became fast friends. Within three years, Montana had become the 49ers' star quarterback and Clark the team's most dependable wide receiver. They combined on many important pass plays. Clark and Montana were inseparable, on and off the field.
Clark was a very deceptive receiver. He wasn't fast but had a knack for getting open, and when defensive backs came up to shut off short passes he'd go by them for a long one. Bigger than most wide receivers, he punished defensive backs with his blocking.
"I don't think I would have had this success if I had played anywhere else". In nine season with San Francisco, Clark caught 506 passes for 6,750 yards and 48 touchdowns. When he retired in 1987 he was the 49ers all-time leader in catches and receiving yards.
Clark had an idyllic life as a San Francisco 49er. He cannot envision himself having played for anyone else. The combination of Walsh's offensive system, Montana's throwing ability, and the team's camaraderie and spirit, would have made it hard for him to play for any other team.