The Catch was the game-winning touchdown
reception
Reception is a noun form of ''receiving'', or ''to receive'' something, such as art, experience, information, people, products, or vehicles. It may refer to:
Astrology
* Reception (astrology), when a planet is located in a sign ruled by another p ...
in the 1981 NFC Championship Game played between the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
and
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
at
Candlestick Park
Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...
on January 10, 1982, as part of the
1981-82 NFL playoffs. With 58 seconds left in the game, the 49ers faced 3rd down and 3 yards to gain on the Cowboys' 6-yard line. San Francisco
wide receiver Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 He was a member of San F ...
made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone to complete a 6-yard touchdown pass from
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
, enabling the 49ers to defeat the Cowboys, 28–27. ''The Catch'' is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays in
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) history. It came at the end of a 14-play, 83-yard game-winning drive engineered by Montana. ''The Catch'' symbolized the end of the Cowboys' domination in the NFC since the conference's inception in 1970, and the beginning of the 49ers' rise as an NFL dynasty in the 1980s.
Game summary
First half
After San Francisco forced Dallas to punt on the opening drive, quarterback
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
completed a 17-yard pass to
Charle Young
Charle Edward Young (born February 5, 1951) is a former American football tight end who played for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1973–1976), the Los Angeles Rams (1977–1979), the San Francisc ...
and a 24-yarder to
Lenvil Elliott before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Freddie Solomon
Freddie Solomon (January 11, 1953 – February 13, 2012) was a professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1975 NFL Draft. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, he was a graduate of Sum ...
. Dallas responded with
Danny White
Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' ...
's 20-yard pass to Butch Johnson setting up a 44-yard field goal by
Rafael Septién
José Rafael Septién Michel (born December 12, 1953) is a Mexican-American former placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Louisiana at La ...
. Then 49ers running back Bill Ring lost a fumble on his own 29, leading to White's 26-yard touchdown pass to
Tony Hill that put the Cowboys up 10–7.
In the second quarter, San Francisco reached the Cowboys' 27-yard line, only to lose the ball when
Everson Walls
Everson Collins Walls (born December 28, 1959) is a former American football defensive back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 se ...
intercepted a pass from Montana in the end zone. After forcing a Dallas punt, Montana threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to
Clark
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
to retake the lead, 14–10. Dallas responded with an 80-yard drive, including a controversial pass interference penalty on 49ers defensive back
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel Lott (born May 8, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and safety in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s.
Lott played college football for the Univ ...
which nullified his interception and gave the Cowboys a 35-yard gain to the San Francisco 12-yard line. Three plays later, running back
Tony Dorsett
Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown to give Dallas a 17–14 lead. The 49ers had another chance to score before halftime when they recovered a fumbled punt on the Dallas 42. After a 15-yard illegal block penalty on Clark, Montana lost a fumble while being sacked by
Harvey Martin
Harvey Banks Martin (November 16, 1950 – December 24, 2001) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 until 1983. He starred at South Oak Cliff ...
. The Cowboys fared no better as White was sacked twice on their next drive, once by
Jim Stuckey
James Davis Stuckey (born June 21, 1958) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s. Stuckey played college football for Cle ...
and once by
Lawrence Pillers
Lawrence Pillers (born November 4, 1952) is a former American football defensive end who played for the New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons in a ten-year career that lasted from 1976 to 1985 in the National Football ...
, and the half ended soon after.
Second half
In the third quarter, San Francisco had another scoring opportunity when
Dwight Hicks
Dwight Hicks (born April 5, 1956) is a former professional American football player who played safety for the Toronto Argonauts in 1978, the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1985, and for the Indianapolis Colts in 1986.
High school and college
...
returned a punt 12 yards to midfield. The 49ers then drove to the Dallas 16-yard line, but once again they failed to score when Montana threw a pass that bounced out of Elliot's hands and was intercepted by
Randy White. However, the Cowboys soon returned the favor with Danny White's interception to linebacker Bobby Leopold, and this time the 49ers converted, regaining the lead at 21–17 with a 2-yard touchdown run by running back
Johnny Davis.
One minute into the fourth quarter, Septién kicked a 22-yard field goal that cut the scoring difference down to 1 point at 21–20. Then Walls recovered a fumble from running back Walt Easley at midfield to set up White's 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Doug Cosbie
Douglas Durant Cosbie (born March 27, 1956) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Santa Clara University.
Cosbie has been a football coach for seve ...
, giving Dallas a 27–21 advantage. Things got even better for Dallas when Walls recorded his second interception from Montana on the next drive at the Cowboys 27. Dallas managed to pick up a few first downs, but were forced to punt, and White's kick gave San Francisco the ball at their own 11 with 4:54 left in the game and three timeouts.
49ers' final drive
Montana started the drive with 89 yards to reach the end zone. The drive began with an incomplete pass to Lenvil Elliot. Elliot then set up a third-and-four with a six-yard run. Montana completed a 6-yard pass to Freddie Solomon to get the first down, then handed off twice to Elliot who gained eleven and seven yards respectively, but dropped a second incomplete pass on second-and-three from their own 41-yard line. An offsides penalty against the Cowboys on the next play gave Montana a fresh set of downs to work with, and Montana completed a 5-yard pass to
Earl Cooper
Earl Cooper (2 December 1886 Broken Bow, Nebraska – 22 October 1965 Atwater, California) was an American racecar driver.
Racing career
He began his racing career in 1908 in San Francisco in a borrowed car. He won the race, but lost his j ...
just before the 2-minute warning. Returning from the stoppage, Solomon gained 14 yards on a wide receiver reverse play to bring the ball over midfield into Cowboy's territory at the 35-yard line. Montana completed two quick passes to Clark and Solomon respectively and the 49ers called a timeout with the ball on the Dallas 12. Montana launched his next pass into the end zone, but missed Solomon. On second-and-ten, Elliot ran the ball for six yards, to the Dallas six yard line, setting up a third and four for the 49ers, with a possible first down to be made at the 2-yard line and the ball spotted between the hashmarks as the team called their second timeout.
The play
![NFL 1982 The Catch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/NFL_1982_The_Catch.svg)
The 49ers lined up in a
split backs formation, with
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
under center. Wide receiver
Freddie Solomon
Freddie Solomon (January 11, 1953 – February 13, 2012) was a professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1975 NFL Draft. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, he was a graduate of Sum ...
was lined up in the right slot, while
Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 He was a member of San F ...
was outside of Solomon, wide to the right.
When Montana took the snap, the play, officially named in the 49ers playbook "Change Left Slot – Sprint Right Option", was intended to set up quick pass to Solomon; earlier in the game, Solomon had scored a touchdown on the same play. Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon, who would run a short "square out" pattern that he would catch just past the first down marker, and either step out of bounds, giving the 49ers a fresh set of downs, or would turn upfield and score himself. Since Clark was lined up near Solomon, he was supposed to position himself to get in the way of Solomon's defender (known as a "pick" or "rub" play), and then release and head for the end zone on his own pattern, providing Montana with a second option. However, Solomon slipped while running his route, thus ruining the timing of the play, as Clark was no longer in position to impede Solomon's defender. As such, the Cowboys were able to cover Solomon perfectly. Making matters worse, the pass rush of the Cowboys collapsed the 49ers' offensive line. Three of the Cowboys' defenders, defensive ends
Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Edward Lee Jones (born February 23, 1951), commonly known as Ed "Too Tall" Jones due to his height, is a former American football player who played 15 seasons (1974–1978, 1980–1989) in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys ...
and
Larry Bethea
Larry Bethea (July 21, 1956 – April 24, 1987) was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Michigan Panthers, Oakland Invaders and Houston Gamblers of the Unite ...
and linebacker
D. D. Lewis, chased a backpedalling Montana toward the sideline, and seemed certain to either send him out of bounds or sack him. After his initial move, Clark's pattern called for him to cut diagonally left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path, running right along the back boundary of the end zone. Just before being chased out of bounds, and after a pump-fake caused the 6-foot 9-inch (206 cm) "Too Tall" Jones to leave his feet, Montana threw a high pass to the back of the end zone that seemed to be heading out of bounds until Clark, closely covered by Cowboys defender
Everson Walls
Everson Collins Walls (born December 28, 1959) is a former American football defensive back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 se ...
, made a leaping catch with his fingertips, and landed just in-bounds at the back right corner of the end zone to score the touchdown and tie the game with 51 seconds left. Despite the hurried and improvised look of the play on the field, it had mostly run according to plan. Because Solomon, the first option, was covered, Montana was supposed to look to Clark as his second option. Montana threw the ball to a location where only Clark could reach it; if he missed the catch it would have sailed harmlessly out of bounds. Being fairly tall himself, at 6-foot 4-inches (193 cm) tall, Clark was able to use all of his length to jump and grab the ball with the tips of his fingers completing one of the most memorable plays in NFL history.
Closing out the game
The ensuing extra point by kicker
Ray Wersching
Raimund "Ray" Wersching (born August 21, 1950) is an Austrian former placekicker in the NFL. He played in the NFL for a span of 15 years, from 1973 through 1987.
Early career
He attended Warren High School in Downey, California.
NFL career
Un ...
gave the 49ers a 28–27 lead. The game was not over, however, and the Cowboys quarterback
Danny White
Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' ...
had 51 seconds following a Wersching
squib kick
A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team. The ball is kicked so short that it forces the receivi ...
to move the ball 75 yards. On the first play from scrimmage, White hit
Drew Pearson for a 31-yard reception, bringing the Cowboys over the midfield line and leaving them only 10 to 15 yards to reach field goal range. Pearson would have scored had defensive back
Eric Wright not made a one-handed
horse-collar tackle
The horse-collar tackle is an American football maneuver in which a defender tackles another player by grabbing the back collar or the back-inside of an opponent's shoulder pads and pulling the ball carrier directly downward violently in order to ...
. After calling a timeout, White took the first down snap and was sacked by
Lawrence Pillers
Lawrence Pillers (born November 4, 1952) is a former American football defensive end who played for the New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons in a ten-year career that lasted from 1976 to 1985 in the National Football ...
,
fumbling in the process.
Jim Stuckey
James Davis Stuckey (born June 21, 1958) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s. Stuckey played college football for Cle ...
recovered the dropped ball, giving the 49ers offense possession near midfield, and allowing Montana to kneel down twice and run out the clock.
Clark finished the game with 8 catches for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Reactions
A photograph of the catch by
Walter Iooss, Jr., with Clark at the height of his leap and Everson Walls reaching out to try to block the ball, was featured on the cover of ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' the following week.
Some people claimed that Montana was trying to throw the ball away, leaving time for a fourth down. Clark disputes that assertion, claiming that it was a backup plan that they practiced many times. Montana confirmed that he could not see the end zone through the defenders, but claims that he knew exactly where Clark would be. The 49ers coach,
Bill Walsh, assumed that it was a throw-away play and immediately began planning for the fourth down until he heard the cheers from the crowd.
As for the height of the catch, Montana has said that he didn't feel that he threw the ball very high. However, Clark leaped as high as he could only to get his fingertips on the ball. In the ''Sports Illustrated'' article, Montana explained that he never saw The Catch, since he had just been knocked to the ground by Jones, but "I saw Dwight's feet touch the ground. I heard the crowd scream." Later, in the locker room, he expressed his amazement at how high Clark had jumped.
According to Clark, Jones reacted to the play by stating "You just beat
America's Team
The term "America’s Team" is a nickname that refers to the National Football League (NFL)'s Dallas Cowboys. The nickname originated with the team's 1978 highlight film, where the narrator (John Facenda) opens with the following introduction: The ...
" to Montana after the pass was caught, to which Montana replied, "Well, you can sit at home with the rest of America and watch the Super Bowl."
Clark, while discussing The Catch in ''
America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions'' documentary about the 1981 49ers, said:
Broadcasting
The game was broadcast nationally in the United States by CBS. On television,
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster. He was best known for his 67 seasons calling games for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 (when the franchise was located ...
called the play-by-play and
Hank Stram
Henry Louis Stram (; January 3, 1923 – July 4, 2005) was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (N ...
did the color commentary. On radio, it was
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous hall ...
and
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall (May 10, 1930 – April 16, 2013) was an American football player and television sportscaster who worked for CBS, Fox, and ESPN. In addition to football, he announced major golf and tennis events. Summerall announ ...
doing the play-by-play and color respectively. Local San Francisco radio station KCBS also provided their own broadcast, as they did for all 49ers games, with Don Klein providing the play-by-play. All three broadcasts featured memorable calls by the announcers. Vin Scully described the play on
CBS Television
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
:
Meanwhile,
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous hall ...
had the call over on
CBS Radio
CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...
:
Finally, Don Klein called the play locally for the 49ers on
KCBS:
Aftermath
This game was a watershed in the historic fortunes of both the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. While the 49ers had begun the 1970s winning three consecutive NFC West titles (1970–1972) and losing two NFC Championship Games (1970-1971 seasons) to the Cowboys, they had spent the remainder of the decade as a losing team. After "The Catch", the 49ers went on to win
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
26–21 over the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. The 49ers made the playoffs eight out of the next ten seasons and won three more
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
s in the 1980s, becoming the NFLs best
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
of the decade. 49ers quarterback Joe Montana went on to gain a reputation for his last-minute heroics, and was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
in 2000, his first year of eligibility.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys, one of the most successful NFC teams in the 1970s with five Super Bowl appearances and two wins, never made it back to the Super Bowl in the 1980s. In the following season, the Cowboys reached their third straight NFC Championship Game, where they were defeated 31–17 by their archrival
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. This ended a remarkable period that saw the Cowboys play in 10 of 13 conference championship games, while Danny White, who had become Dallas' starting quarterback in 1980, drew criticism for "not being able to win the big game," despite leading the team to successful winning seasons. The Cowboys managed to make the playoffs in the
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
and
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
seasons, only to be knocked out in their first game (
Wild Card round in 1983;
Divisional round in 1985), then failed to reach the postseason for the rest of the decade. In fact, beginning in 1986, the Cowboys went on to suffer losing seasons for the remainder of the eighties, leading to head coach
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL), a position he held for 29 seasons. Dur ...
being fired by new owner
Jerry Jones
Jerral Wayne Jones (born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman who has been the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) since February 1989.
Early life
Jones was born in Los Ange ...
after the 1988 season.
The 1990s, however, saw a renewal of the Cowboys-49ers rivalry fueled by "The Catch" game. The 1992–1994 seasons would see the Cowboys and 49ers face off in three straight NFC Championship games, with the Cowboys winning the first two and the 49ers winning the last one; each victorious team following it up with a Super Bowl title.
Legacy
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
and
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
quarterback
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
, a
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
native who ultimately grew up idolizing Montana on his way to his own successful NFL career including seven Super Bowl wins, attended the game as a four-year-old and aspired to become a 49er.
In 2002, the NFL ran a series of advertisements promoting the playoffs, using famous plays as a uniting theme. Actor
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned ...
demonstrated the height of Clark's catch by standing on a stepladder in the end zone.
Clark and Montana re-enacted The Catch in observance of the 25th anniversary of the play as part of San Francisco alumni day activities at halftime of the
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
game November 5, 2006, at
Candlestick Park
Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...
.
On October 21, 2018, the 49ers unveiled a statue outside
Levi's Stadium
Levi's Stadium is an American football stadium located in Santa Clara, California, just outside San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has served as the home venue for the National Football League (NFL)'s San Francisco 49ers since 2014. T ...
depicting The Catch. The statue features two life-size figures, Montana with his arms in the air celebrating the touchdown and, 23 yards away, Clark leaping to make The Catch. Clark's catch was a popular photo location among
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ...
fans during their 44–16 win over
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
in the
2019 College Football Playoff National Championship
The 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the 2018 season. It was played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, ...
held at Levi's Stadium.
In 2019, in celebration of the NFL's 100th season, NFL Films ranked The Catch second on its list of the 100 Greatest Plays.
This would be the final professional football game that Vin Scully would call the play by play as well as the final game that Pat Summerall did color commentary before moving to play-by-play announcer for the rest of his broadcast career.
Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, the play was immortalized in advertisements for
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
film: a television commercial using a snippet of
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
's
"The Way We Were" as its jingle and featuring The Catch as shown by
NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries for and about the NFL, as well as ot ...
, and a magazine ad featuring a photo still of The Catch, accompanied by the caption, "The 49ers grab a TD and a title."
In the October 16, 2001 episode "
My Old Lady" of the American television sitcom/medical drama ''
Scrubs
Scrub(s) may refer to:
* Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland
* Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff
* ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program
* Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'', when a dying patient David asks if anyone has ever heard of The Catch,
Turk comes in and says, "Niners-Cowboys,
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
to
Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 He was a member of San F ...
deep in the end-zone, zero time left. Kid, please, don't insult me." Turk later joins David in watching the game.
In 2005, a commercial for the
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
sports drink, known as "The Winning Formula", portrayed an alternate version of The Catch, in which the ball bounced out of Clark's fingertips. Following the Gatorade logo, the real version was shown with Dwight Clark's completion. This is also done with
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
's
"flip play" going wide of home plate and
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
's
famous buzzer-beater against
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
going off the rim.
On August 5, 2007, ''
The Best Damn Sports Show Period
''The Best Damn Sports Show Period'' was an American sports television show that aired on Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. The show regularly featured irreverent and opinionated interviews with top athletes, coaches, celebrities, and entertai ...
'' did a special show commemorating the top 50 amazing sports catches of all time. The Catch is listed as #17.
Subsequent editions
Two subsequent touchdown passes by the 49ers to win home playoff games with the team trailing and facing 3rd and 3 with less than a minute to go have also been named after The Catch:
*
The Catch II
The Catch II was the winning touchdown reception in a 1998 NFC Wild Card Game played between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers at 3Com Park at Candlestick Point on January 3, 1999, as part of the 1998–99 NFL playoffs following the ...
–
Steve Young
Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccane ...
to
Terrell Owens
Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...
in the
1998 Wild Card Round from 25 yards against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
with 3 seconds left. The 49ers won 30–27.
* The Catch III –
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
to
Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Davis co-led the NFL in touchdown rec ...
in the
2011 Divisional Round from 14 yards against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
with 9 seconds left. The 49ers won 36–32.
Officials
*''Referee'':
Jim Tunney (#3)
*''Umpire'': Bob Boylston (#5)
*''Head Linesman'':
Ed Marion
Ed Marion (1927, Charlotte, North Carolina – 28 April 2008) was an American official in the National Football League. Marion was in the league from 1960 to 1987 and officiated in Super Bowl V, IX and XI. He wore the number 26 for the majority ...
(#6)
*''Line Judge'': Bob Beeks (#16)
*''Back Judge'': Ray Douglas (#5)
*''Side Judge'':
Dean Look
Dean Zachary Look (born July 23, 1937) is an American former American football, football and baseball player. He played college football as quarterback at Michigan State University and professional football for the New York Titans (football), New ...
(#9)
*''Field Judge'': Ed Merrifield (#20)
*''Alternate Referee'':
Gordon McCarter
Gordon McCarter (May 26, 1931 − December 20, 2002) was an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from 1967 to 1995. He joined the NFL as a line judge and back judge (now known as the field judge) in 1967 before being pro ...
*''Alternate Umpire'': Dave Moss
See also
*
Immaculate Reception
The Immaculate Reception is one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game of the National Football League (NFL), between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders (now Las ...
*
The Helmet Catch
*
The Catch (baseball)
The Catch was a baseball play made by New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays on September 29, 1954, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan, New York City. During the eighth inning with the score tie ...
*
The Block (American Football)
*
Freezer Bowl
In National Football League lore, the Freezer Bowl is the nickname given to the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was played on January 10, 1982, at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadiu ...
, 1981 AFC Championship game held on the same day
*
Minneapolis Miracle
The Minneapolis Miracle (also known as the Minnesota Miracle) was the National Football Conference (NFC) divisional playoff game played between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catch, The
1981 National Football League season
American football incidents
Dallas Cowboys postseason
National Football League playoff games
NFC Championship Games
San Francisco 49ers postseason
1982 in San Francisco
January 1982 sports events in the United States
1982 in sports in California
Candlestick Park