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[Rainy]

Dwight Clark, the former 49ers star best known for his leaping, winning catch in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, says he has been diagnosed with ALS.

He disclosed his diagnosis of the disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Sunday in a statement posted on the website of former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo Jr.

"In September of 2015, I started feeling weakness in my left hand," Clark wrote. "I was mildly paying attention to it because since my playing days, I've constantly had pain in my neck. I was thinking it was related to some kind of nerve damage because it would just come and go.

"After months of tests and treatment, I got some bad news," he continued. "I was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. I have ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Those words are still very hard for me to say."

Clark said he doesn't know if playing football caused the disease but he suspects that is the case. ALS has in recent years been linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the degenerative brain disease that studies have linked to athletes and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including concussions.

"I've been asked if playing football caused this," Clark wrote. "I don't know for sure. But I certainly suspect it did. And I encourage the NFLPA and the NFL to continue working together in their efforts to make the game of football safer, especially as it relates to head trauma."

Dwight Clark is best remembered for "The Catch," a Joe Montana-to-Clark game-winning touchdown connection with 51 seconds remaining in the 49ers' 28-27 NFC Championship Game victory over the Dallas Cowboys that sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl in the 1981 season. It kick-started a dynasty for the franchise and was honored as the No. 1 play ever during the 49ers' final regular-season home games at iconic Candlestick Park in 2013.

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This is so sad.

 

[Epsilon-delta]

No love for Clark?

Anyways, my thoughts are with him and his family.

 

[RedNalgene]

Wow this is incredibly sad. He was definitely one of my early football heroes. Geez.

 

[The Maverick]

I feel for him and his family. But the NFL will continue to do everything in its power to stand in the way of research and understanding the link between football and degenerative diseases.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

so sad. I hope he doesn't suffer too much

 

[smokeymicpot]

That fucking sucks. Everyone should check out the documentary Gleason. It is about Steve Gleason and his fight with AlS.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Terrible news. Really hope he decides to donate his brain to hopefully further help research CTE/ALS.

 

[BigBeauford]

That fucking sucks. Everyone should check out the documentary Gleason. It is about Steve Gleason and his fight with AlS.

Can't second this enough.

 

[Tom Nook]

Sad

 

[Armaros]

ALS is an awfull disease. D:

My sympathies to him.

 

[foxdvd]

My uncle died from ALS many years ago. He lived near the San Francisco area. He got to meet some niner players before he died and got some autographed pictures and footballs...one of the niners he met was Dwight Clark.

Sad news.

 

[LizardKing]

That fucking sucks. Everyone should check out the documentary Gleason. It is about Steve Gleason and his fight with AlS.

I watch a lot of documentaries, and this was without exaggeration the saddest one I've ever seen. It truly depressed me and made very sad and emotional. It's very powerful and very depressing.

 

[IISANDERII]

I keep thinking how many undiagnosed retired players are out there. It's scary. How old is he?

 

[Rainy]

I keep thinking how many undiagnosed retired players are out there. It's scary. How old is he?

60, according to Wiki.

 

[Servbot24]

Edit: Thinking of the wrong guy. Still terrible news

 

[TheSkullPrince]

Man this fucking sucks I wasn't old enough to watch him play, but as a lifelong Niners fan I must pay my respects to the man who helped make us a dynasty.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

ALS is such an awful disease. God I hope theyfind a cure for it.

 

[gnomed]

Man this fucking sucks I wasn't old enough to watch him play, but as a lifelong Niners fan I must pay my respects to the man who helped make us a dynasty.

Same here. Sad to hear about it.

 

[Rainy]

Man this fucking sucks I wasn't old enough to watch him play, but as a lifelong Niners fan I must pay my respects to the man who helped make us a dynasty.

Yeah same here, my dad came to America (specifically The Bay) in the 80s and loved all those Niners teams. Always heard all about 'em growing up.

 

[Balphon]

Awful news.

Clark and The Catch are legendary for good reason.

 

[kaiju]

Growing up in Northern California, my earliest football memory was The Catch. We lived in a cul-de-sac and my Dad invited all the neighbors to watch the game. Incredible moment. I used to reenact The Catch on the playground. It's part of me.

I also witnessed first hand the loss of an uncle with ALS. First he couldn't stand, and was confined to a wheelchair. Then he couldn't swallow, and lost the ability to eat. Then he couldn't talk, and it just got worse from there. This shit is fucking brutal.

Very sad news. I'll be keeping Dwight Clark in my thoughts for sure.

 

[TheSkullPrince]

Yeah same here, my dad came to America (specifically The Bay) in the 80s and loved all those Niners teams. Always heard all about 'em growing up.

I'm only old enough to remember the Steve Young/Jerry Rice years, but I always loved my older brother talking about how great the Montana teams were.