Throwback Thursday: Dwight Clark

In this edition of Throwback Thursday John Chancey looks at Clemson football great Dwight Clark.

Dwight Clark – Wide Receiver, 1975-78

• RTR 200 Ranking: 170
• 30 receptions
• 571 yards

Clark played his high school football in Charlotte, NC, but he was far from the tight end that became famous playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Back then, he was the quarterback of the Garinger Wildcats. At 6’-4”, he wanted to play basketball in college, but ultimately went to Clemson to play football.

The Tigers had a full quarterback room when Clark arrived, so he was moved to wide receiver as a freshman. The coaches wanted to move him to strong safety as a sophomore, but Clark wanted to play offense. He decided to go home to Charlotte to clear his head and considered transferring to Appalachian State to play basketball. The Clemson coaches sent Clark’s roommate, quarterback Steve Fuller, to convince Clark to return, assuring him he would be allowed to stay on offense. He was named a starter at receiver by his junior campaign, and helped Clemson qualify for it’s first bowl game in 18 years.

As a senior, Clark was second on the team in receptions as Clemson finished with an 11-1 and defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes in the game that has become famous as Woody Hayes final game. His 62-yard touchdown catch against Maryland helped Clemson win the ACC title in 1978.

Generations of NFL fans know Dwight Clark’s iconic catch in the 1981 NFC Championship without knowing he was a Clemson Tiger

The moment for which Clark would become most remembered happened after the was drafted by the 49ers in the 10th round of the 1979 NFL Draft. San Francisco advanced to the NFC Championship game in 1981 against the Dallas Cowboys. With less than a minute remaining, quarterback Joe Montana moved to his right and found Clark in the end zone for a touchdown that would become known as “The Catch”.

Clark was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated one week after Perry Tuttle was featured following Clemson’s first national championship victory.

He was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1988, and the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Clark moved into the front office after his playing career. He was an executive with the 49ers and the Cleveland Browns from 1990 to 2001. In 2017, Clark announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 61.

There is no doubt that Clark is a very popular figure in Clemson football history. His feats in the NFL are famous nationally. Clark is remembered as a favorite son of Clemson University.