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What position did..... (1 Viewer)

Z

ZenoRazon

Footballguy
........Dwight Clark play?

A debate with a fellow football freak, need help.

 
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ZenoRazon said:
Didn't he also play TE?
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Funny, TE is the first thought that came to my mind too. 

Pretty sure we're just both wrong. 6'4 212 probably wasn't thick enough to play TE even 30 years ago. 

 
Snorkelson said:
Are you thinking of this guy?
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I was on another site, guy says TE Dwight Clark,  well being a long time Niner fan...."nope, he was a WR"  He comes back with this...

AP) — The San Francisco 49ers will honor former tight end Dwight Clark with a season-long celebration of his life that will include unveiling a statue of "The Catch." Clark died in June at age 61. He suffered from ALS.Aug 8, 2018

And he had more similiar to that all calling Clark a TE.

I told him....nope, they are simply wrong, obviously this got..."all of them are wrong?"

Now I'm looking for some others who know the guy was a WR so I can have him read this thread.

So,  anyone out there think he was a TE?

 
Bracie Smathers said:
No question he was a wide receiver.  

The AP wire story where the writer isn't listed screwed up.

The only place I could find where he was listed as a TE is in Madden18 where they had him accidentally (?) listed at two positions with two different numbers, #87 for WR and for some reason #89 at TE.

 People noted that in this version of Madden if you put in Clark as a TE the game would not allow you to use him at WR.

---------------------------------------------------------

OOP Boss Dwight Clark: TE - This item cannot be played on offense with another Dwight Clark offense item.
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I definitely think of him as a TE. Pretty sure he was lined up at TE for "The Catch."

This is just a wiki entry, but this is always how I heard it/remembered it (yes, I saw it live, I'm old).

The Catch was the winning touchdown reception in the 1981 NFC Championship Game played between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on January 10, 1982, as part of the 1981–82 NFL playoffs following the 1981 NFL season. With 58 seconds left in the game and the 49ers facing 3rd-and-3, San Francisco tight end Dwight Clark made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone to complete a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Montana, enabling the 49ers to defeat the Cowboys, 28–27.

 
Speaks to the ingenuity of Bill Walsh's WCO that this was even a slight debate, though I'm still sure Clark is a true and tried TE in that system. 

Let's argue the run-and-shoot and systems instead of this. Just my suggestion, and probably one better for Smart Football and the ilk.  

 
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The earlier suggestion that we're confusing Dallas and Dwight Clark has merit.   At 6'4 212 pounds, Dwight had the size of a prototype WR.

It was a trick of the light.

 
rockaction said:
 I'm almost sure he was a TE during the proverbial catch. 
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Nope.  He was split out wide right.  Ran his route to the middle of the goal post and then slid back out to the right.  Freddie Soloman was in the slot next to Clark and was the intended target.

Funny thing about that play was that Montana didn't go to celebrate with the rest of the team.  Instead, he had some words to say to Too Tall Jones because Jones had said that when the 49ers had beaten the Cowboys in the regular season, that they hadn't played the "real Cowboys" that day and that he didn't respect the 49ers.  Montana didn't talk much trash, so seeing him talking mess to Jones after the play was pretty funny. 

 
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efactor said:
Nope.  He was split out wide right.  Ran his route to the middle of the goal post and then slid back out to the right.  Freddie Soloman was in the slot next to Clark and was the intended target.

Funny thing about that play was that Montana didn't go to celebrate with the rest of the team.  Instead, he had some words to say to Too Tall Jones because Jones had said that when the 49ers had beaten the Cowboys in the regular season, that they hadn't played the "real Cowboys" that day and that he didn't respect the 49ers.  Montana didn't talk much trash, so seeing him talking mess to Jones after the play was pretty funny. 
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Awesome. Great stuff.  

 
efactor said:
Nope.  He was split out wide right.  Ran his route to the middle of the goal post and then slid back out to the right.  Freddie Soloman was in the slot next to Clark and was the intended target.

Funny thing about that play was that Montana didn't go to celebrate with the rest of the team.  Instead, he had some words to say to Too Tall Jones because Jones had said that when the 49ers had beaten the Cowboys in the regular season, that they hadn't played the "real Cowboys" that day and that he didn't respect the 49ers.  Montana didn't talk much trash, so seeing him talking mess to Jones after the play was pretty funny. 
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Yup.   Here is the schematic drawing of the play "the Catch", victory action of the 1982 NFC Championship Game  with description. The play

Following the 49ers second timeout, they faced third and 3 yards to go on the Cowboys' 6-yard line with 58 seconds left in the game.

The 49ers lined up in a split backs formation, with Joe Montana under center. Wide receiver Freddie Solomon (the play's actual intended target) was lined up in the right slot, while Dwight Clark (who eventually caught the pass) was outside of Solomon, wide to the right.

When Montana took the snap, the play, known as Sprint Right Option, was intended to be a pick-play to set up a quick pass Solomon; earlier in the game, Solomon had scored a touchdown on that play.[3] However, Solomon slipped while running his route, thus ruining the timing of the play (as Clark was no longer in position to set the pick). As such, the Cowboys were able to cover Solomon perfectly. Making matters worse, the pass rush of the Cowboys collapsed the 49ers' offensive line. Two of the Cowboys' defensive ends Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Larry Bethea 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. But at the last moment, and after a pump-fake to get 6-foot 9-inch "Too Tall" Jones to jump, Montana threw a high pass to the back of the end zone that seemed destined to sail out of bounds until 49ers receiver Dwight Clark made a leaping touchdown grab with his fingertips to tie the game with 51 seconds left. The ensuing extra point by kicker Ray Wersching gave the 49ers a 28–27 lead. Clark finished the game with 8 catches for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The play, remembered in 49er lore as "Change Left Slot – Sprint Right Option[4]" had called for both Clark and the primary receiver, Solomon, to line up on the right. Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon. Clark's pattern called for him to cut left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path to the right. If Solomon was covered, it would be up to Montana to find Clark. Due to the pressure, Montana's pass was high, but Clark was in position to make his memorable grab...
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I remember Montana saying that Bill Walsh made them practice throwing off-balance on his back foot a lot in training camp and how Joe hated it because he thought it would never come up in a game.  

Bill was a genius IMHO.

 
Crazy that he ever even played in the NFL yet alone had a very good career. His best season at Clemson was 17/265/1. 

 
Ilov80s said:
Crazy that he ever even played in the NFL yet alone had a very good career. His best season at Clemson was 17/265/1. 
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Walsh was checking out Clark's QB at Clemson, Steve Fuller prior to the draft and Clark volunteered to run routes for Fuller.  Walsh liked what he saw in Clark and grabbed him in the 10th round.

Crazy

 
Dwight Clark is listed as a TE according to all football sources. That he was split out wide doesn't nullify his versality, and wasn't the OP's point. DC was a TE by any measure, in my estimation. He's listed everywhere are TE, and you can split TEs out.  

 
He played quarterback for the Garinger High School Wildcats. A program that later went on to lose 51 consecutive games from 2001-2007.

 
He's listed as a WR everywhere that I can see and was 1st team all pro at WR that year. Charlie Young was the TE and Earl Cooper was a FB \ TE catching 51 passes in 1981. He ws also only 212 lbs as a playing weight. In 1982, they brought in TE Russ Francis

 
rockaction said:
Dwight Clark is listed as a TE according to all football sources. That he was split out wide doesn't nullify his versality, and wasn't the OP's point. DC was a TE by any measure, in my estimation. He's listed everywhere are TE, and you can split TEs out.  
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Which sources?

 
rockaction said:
Dwight Clark is listed as a TE according to all football sources. That he was split out wide doesn't nullify his versality, and wasn't the OP's point. DC was a TE by any measure, in my estimation. He's listed everywhere are TE, and you can split TEs out.  
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No he wasn’t. Charles Young, Russ Francis and Brent Jones were the TEs. Sources are wrong. Never a TE 

 
efactor said:
No he wasn’t. Charles Young, Russ Francis and Brent Jones were the TEs. Sources are wrong. Never a TE 
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I wouldn't imagine a quick search of  Dwight Young and memory is wrong. If so, we need to contact Wikipedia and my own memory.  

eta* PFR has him listed as a WR. Who is right?  

 
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Sadly, what's important is not what he's remembered for. A good friend of mine died of ALS. RIP, bud, and love you.  

 
rockaction said:
Dwight Clark is listed as a TE according to all football sources. That he was split out wide doesn't nullify his versality, and wasn't the OP's point. DC was a TE by any measure, in my estimation. He's listed everywhere are TE, and you can split TEs out.  
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Life long Niner fan here, saw every game Clark ever played in the pros, he was a WR.

On a Niner forum they rank him the third best Niner WR, not listed at all talking TE's.

All his football cards....WR.

Every roster he is listed....WR.

There are tons on Niner games on youtube, just watch any of them (in Clarks day) and there he is at WR,

Now add...

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sfo/lineups.htm

 
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rockaction said:
Dwight Clark is listed as a TE according to all football sources. That he was split out wide doesn't nullify his versality, and wasn't the OP's point. DC was a TE by any measure, in my estimation. He's listed everywhere are TE, and you can split TEs out.  
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Maybe share a link to just one of those mystery sources

 
rockaction said:
Dwight Clark is listed as a TE according to all football sources. That he was split out wide doesn't nullify his versality, and wasn't the OP's point. DC was a TE by any measure, in my estimation. He's listed everywhere are TE, and you can split TEs out.  
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This is nonsense.

 
I can be wrong and admit it. I thought since my memory and Wiki had it, it was correct. 

Pro football reference lists him as WR. 

I think you guys are right and I'm done with the matter.  

 
DropKick said:
The earlier suggestion that we're confusing Dallas and Dwight Clark has merit.   At 6'4 212 pounds, Dwight had the size of a prototype WR.

It was a trick of the light.
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I think it's because he was kind a white dude not known for being super athletic.  :shrug:

 
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