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Former 49ers legend Dwight Clark announces he has ALS

By Connor Muldowney

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 4: Former San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana and Dwight Clark talk on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park on December 4, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Rams 26-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 4: Former San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana and Dwight Clark talk on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park on December 4, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Rams 26-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /
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Former 49ers receiver Dwight Clark shared some unfortunate news on Sunday, announcing he has ALS.

Dwight Clark made one of the most iconic catches in NFL history back in the 1981 NFC Playoffs as his go-ahead score against the Cowboys in the final minute helped the 49ers advance to the Super Bowl. The legendary wide receiver’s reception in the corner of the end zone will forever be known as “The Catch” and he is still a hero to many 49ers fans.

On Sunday, he announced some heartbreaking news, though. The 60-year-old NFL veteran took to Twitter to reveal he has been diagnosed with a debilitating illness: ALS.

Heartbreaking news not just because he’s one of the best guys around, but also because it’s one of those illnesses you would never wish on anyone.

What is ALS? According to the Mayo Clinic, this is the description:

"Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a-my-o-TROE-fik LAT-ur-ul skluh-ROE-sis), or ALS, is a progressive nervous system (neurological) disease that destroys nerve cells and causes disability.ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous baseball player who was diagnosed with it. ALS is a type of motor neuron disease in which nerve cells gradually break down and die."

ALS has causes that are still unknown to this day and it’s eventually fatal. Clark is a fighter, though, and he will be battling this disease for the remainder of his life.

Other athletes who had been diagnosed with ALS (obviously, Lou Gehrig was one of the most famous), are Steve Gleason, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Glenn Montgomery and Kevin Turner.

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In case you never knew, the Ice Bucket Challenge from a couple of years ago was actually done in order to raise money for ALS. This is something that needs to be researched in order to finally find a cure, so don’t be shy and donate.

Let’s hope the NFL legend battles like he did in his playing days.