“The Catch”

With 58 seconds remaining in the 1981 NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park, Joe Montana rolled right under pressure from three Dallas Cowboys defenders and tossed a high pass toward the back of the end zone, where Dwight Clark leaped and extended his 6-foot-4 frame to catch the football for a touchdown that tied the score. The extra point gave the San Francisco 49ers a 28-27 victory over the Cowboys. The play, called "Sprint Right Option," changed the fate of the franchise, sending the 49ers to their first championship and igniting a 14-year run of excellence in which they won five Super Bowl titles. Known simply as "The Catch," it became a defining moment in team history and forever linked Montana and Clark to the 49ers legacy.

Santa Clara, California · United States