This event still runs down clearly through my eyes. The timing, the pass, the touchdown; everything was just perfect. I still remember that I had goose bumps all over my body including my face (they never appear on face, but still I was so thrilled that I assume I had it all over). Well, this historic moment took place in NFC Championship Game on January 10, 1982 in a match between Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. The Catch is the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark through a Joe Montana pass.
The Catch went down as one of the most unforgettable and the greatest events in NFL history. The match however, was a very tight one with both the teams leading by turns. San Francisco were trailing 27-21when they took over the ball at their own 11-yard. They went forward to the Dallas 6-yard line and with just 58 seconds remaining they faced a third down. Earlier in the game, Joe Montana took the snap and passed to Freddie Solomon for a touchdown. This time round, Cowboys had covered Freddie perfectly. Ed Jones alongwith Larry Bethea and D.D.Lewis chased Montana who was backpedaling towards the sidelines. But when it seemed, he won’t make it, Montana threw a high pass to the back of end zone.
This ball seemed to go out of bounds when Dwight Clark clutched the ball with his fingertips and scored a touchdown. The clock showed 51 seconds were remaining but that wasn’t enough for the Cowboys as San Francisco secured a dramatic win of 28-27. The photograph of The Catch was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week. I still have that issue with me and it is one of my cherished NFL events of all time. The 49ers went ahead and won the Super Bowl XVI with the same score line against Cincinnati Bengals.
On 5th November 2006, Clark and Montana enacted their famous The Catch moment at the halftime of Minnesota game at Candlestick Park. This was the 25th anniversary of their play.