A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On Jan. 10, 1982, San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark caught a touchdown pass from Joe Montana with 58 seconds left in the NFC Championship game.
One of the most famous plays in NFL history, “The Catch” led the 49ers to a 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and a berth in Super Bowl XVI, where they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals for their first Super Bowl victory.
And a dynasty was born. The 49ers won five Super Bowl trophies over the next dozen years.
The play, remembered in 49er lore as “Red Right Tight — Sprint Right Option,” according to wire reports, had called for both the primary receiver, Freddie Solomon, and Clark to line up on the right. Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon. Clark’s pattern called for him to cut left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path to the right. If Solomon were covered, it would be up to Montana to find Clark. Due to the pressure, Montana’s pass was high, but Clark was in position to make his memorable grab.
A couple of quirky notes:
- Future New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who grew up in the Bay Area, attended the game as a 4-year-old. He was part of his own NFL dynasty with the Patriots.
- In 2016, a Utah-based YouTuber shared his passion for the play by recreating the moment ... while skydiving.
Clark played nine seasons in San Francisco and was part of two title teams. He worked for the team after retiring.
In 2017, Clark announced he had Lou Gehrig’s disease and suspected playing football caused the illness. He died a year later at age 61.
Here are some stories about “The Catch,” Clark and his 49ers teammates, and other NFL dynasties:
“‘Catch’ that changed 49er history revisited”
“Clark’s dedication can’t be questioned”
“It’s the end of an era, S.F. drops torch, Dallas has it”
“Montana finding there is life after football”
“UTubers: Devin Graham re-creates ‘The Catch’ with sky divers”
