Dwight Clark Cause of Death: How Did the 49ers Legend Die?

Dwight Clark, the beloved wide receiver for the the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s, died on Monday. He was 61.

What was Clark’s cause of death? How did he die? Here is what we know so far:

Clark’s death was confirmed on Twitter by his wife Kelly Clark. “I’m heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband,” she wrote. “He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most. I am thankful for all of Dwight’s friends, teammates and 49ers fans who have sent their love during his battle.”

In the same tweet, Radzikowski revealed Clark died after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gherig’s disease.

Clark announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS this past March. He released an official statement on his website that detailed the hardships he went through after being diagnosed. “In September of 2015, I started feeling weakness in my left hand,” he 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.”

Clark felt that his time in the NFL was a likely contributor to his diagnosis. “I’ve been asked if playing football caused this. I don’t know for sure. But I certainly suspect it did,” he wrote. “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.” In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, Clark revealed that he dropped from 242 pounds to 155 pounds within months of his diagnosis, and had to resort to feeding tubes to sustain his body.

During the last few months of Clark’s life, he said that his ALS made it difficult to perform routine activities around the house. “In addition to losing strength in my left hand – which makes opening a pack of sugar or buttoning my shirt impossible”, he said, “I have now experienced weakness in my right hand, abs, lower back and right leg.” Clark added that he was unable to run, play golf, or pick up anything over 30 pounds.”While I’m still trying to wrap my head around the challenge I will face with this disease over the coming years,” Clark reasoned, “the only thing I know is that I’m going to fight like hell and live every day to the fullest.”

Clark, who played eight seasons for the 49ers between 1979 and 1987, is best remembered for “The Catch”, a famous play he made during the 1981 NFC Playoffs. He leaped and caught a 6-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana that allowed the 49ers to defeat the Dallas Cowboys and advance to Super Bowl XVI. “The Catch” would go on to solidify Clark’s place in 49ers history. In the 2008 documentary series America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions, he reflected on “The Catch”‘s legacy:

It’s humbling, really. I feel honored people are still talking about it, 25 years later. I am honored to be able to be a part of a play that was kind of the culmination of just this incredible surprise season. I never get tired of seeing it, because I sign pictures and send them to people. I see that catch every day. I may sit and think about that moment couple of times a year, and how awesome it was to be a part of that play and to be a part of the 49ers in the ’80s. ”

Clark ended his career with two Super Bowl rings, and to honor his contribution to 49ers, the team retired his number 87. He later served as a team executive for the 49ers and was the General Manager and Director of Football Operations for the Cleveland Browns from 1999–2002. He resigned following the 2002 season.

Clark is survived by his wife Kelly Clark, whom he married in 2011, and his three children: Casey, Riley and Mac, which he had from a previous marriage.

Fans and former NFL players have taken to social media to pay tribute to Clark, including his former teammate Jerry Rice, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. who released a statement on the 49ers website.

“Today, I lost my little brother and one of my best friends,” DeBartolo wrote. “I cannot put into words how special Dwight was to me and to everyone his life touched. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother and a great friend and teammate. He showed tremendous courage and dignity in his battle with ALS and we hope there will soon be a cure for this horrendous disease.”

Check out the rest of the heartfelt tributes below.

0 Comments