"The Catch" refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off a Joe Montana pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

 

The Catch is widely regarded as one of the most memorable events in NFL history, and I was fortunate enough to watch it live when I was living in San Francisco.

 

In my humble opinion, this game was, and still remains to this very day, the best football game I have ever watched.

 

The game represented the end of Dallas' domination in the NFC since the conference's inception in 1970, and the beginning of San Francisco's rise as both an NFC and Super Bowl power in the 1980s.

 

I saw a few 49ers games at Candlestick Park, and even saw the 1985 Superbowl XIX (San Francisco VS Miami) at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto. It was at this historic Superbowl that the Apple MacIntosh computer was introduced. And yes, the home team from San Fancisco won, and the entire Bay Area went nuts celebrating.

 

The 1980's SF 49ers dream team, coached by Bill Walsh, remains my favorite professional sports team of all time.

 

 

1982 San Francisco 49ers Roster

 

Player                   Pos                               Birthdate          College

Dan Audick          OT                              01/15/1954      Hawaii  

John Ayers           OG                             04/14/1953      West Texas A&M  

Terry Beeson       LB                              09/19/1955      Kansas  

Guy Benjamin     QB                              06/27/1955     Stanford  

Dwaine Board     DE                              11/29/1956     North Carolina A&T  

Dan Bunz              LB                              04/07/1955     Long Beach State  

John Choma        OG                              02/09/1955     Virginia  

Dwight Clark       WR                              01/08/1957      Clemson  

Mike Clark            DE                              03/30/1959       Florida  

Tim Collier           DB                              05/31/1954       Texas A&M-Commerce  

Earl Cooper         RB                               09/17/1957      Rice  

Randy Cross       OG                               04/25/1954      UCLA  

Fred Dean           DE                                02/24/1952      Louisiana Tech  

Walt Downing    OG                               06/11/1956      Michigan  

Walt Easley          RB                               09/08/1957      West Virginia  

Keith Fahnhorst OT                               02/06/1952      Minnesota  

Ron Ferrari          LB                               07/30/1959       Illinois  

Russ Francis        TE                               04/03/1953      Oregon  

Rick Gervais        DB                               11/04/1959      Stanford  

Willie Harper       LB                               07/30/1950      Nebraska  

John Harty           DT                               12/17/1958      Iowa  

Dwight Hicks       DB                               04/05/1956      Michigan  

Bob Horn             LB                                02/06/1954      Oregon State  

Ed Judie                LB                                07/06/1959      Northern Arizona  

Pete Kugler         DT                               08/09/1959      Penn State  

Amos Lawrence RB                               01/09/1958      North Carolina  

Bobby Leopold  LB                                10/18/1957      Notre Dame  

Ronnie Lott        DB                                05/08/1959     Southern California  

Lindsey Mason  OT                                08/01/1955     Kansas  

Milt McColl          LB                                08/28/1959     Stanford  

Dana McLemore DB                              07/01/1960     Hawaii  

Jim Miller                P                                07/05/1957     Mississippi  

Joe Montana       QB                               06/11/1956     Notre Dame  

Jeff Moore           RB                                08/20/1956     Jackson State  

Renaldo Nehemiah WR                        03/24/1959     Maryland  

Ricky Patton       RB                                04/06/1954     Jackson State  

Lawrence Pillers DE                              11/04/1952     Alcorn State  

Fred Quillan          C                               01/27/1956     Oregon  

Eason Ramson    TE                              04/30/1956     Washington State  

Jack Reynolds      LB                               11/22/1947    Tennessee  

Bill Ring                 RB                              12/13/1956     Brigham Young  

Eric Scoggins       LB                              01/23/1959      Southern California  

Freddie Solomon WR                           01/11/1953      Tampa  

Jeff Stover              DT                            05/22/1958      Oregon  

Jim Stuckey            DE                            06/21/1958      Clemson  

Lynn Thomas        DB                            07/09/1959      Pittsburgh  

Keena Turner        LB                            10/22/1958       Purdue  

Tim Washington   DT                           11/07/1959       Fresno State  

Ray Wersching        K                            08/21/1950      California  

Newton Williams   RB                           05/10/1959     Arizona State  

Vince Williams        RB                          10/24/1959     Oregon  

Carlton Williamson DB                        06/12/1958     Pittsburgh  

Mike Wilson           WR                          12/19/1958      Washington State  

Eric Wright             DB                           04/18/1959     Missouri  

Charle Young         TE                            02/05/1951    Southern California