I was near the Dallas Cowboys bench for the 1981 NFC Championship game and had a chance to witness ``The Catch.’’ Joe Montana drove a 49ers team that had been bad for years the length of the field and hit a leaping Dwight Clark in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown that sent the 49ers to the Super Bowl and changed the face of football. The 49ers started a dynasty and head coach Bill Walsh changed the game with the West Coast offense.

For Schooled with the Professor, we caught up with Matt Maiocco from NBC Sports Bay Area. Maiocco, who grew up in the Bay Area, has covered the 49ers for years. He became good friends with Clark, who recently passed away. Maiocco put together a great book _ Letters to 87:Fans Remember the Legacy of Dwight Clark. This one is emotional. Clark had ALS. Matt was there when several former 49ers visited Clark and read him the letters. It turned into a documentary and now, a book.

Matt discusses how football changed after 'the catch'. He also got us caught up on the current 49ers team and how they look. 

I was near the Dallas Cowboys bench for the 1981 NFC Championship game and had a chance to witness ``The Catch.&rsquo;&rsquo; Joe Montana drove a 49ers team that had been bad for years the length of the field and hit a leaping Dwight Clark in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown that sent the 49ers to the Super Bowl and changed the face of football. The 49ers started a dynasty and head coach Bill Walsh changed the game with the West Coast offense.
For Schooled with the Professor, we caught up with Matt Maiocco from NBC Sports Bay Area. Maiocco, who grew up in the Bay Area, has covered the 49ers for years. He became good friends with Clark, who recently passed away. Maiocco put together a great book _ Letters to 87:Fans Remember the Legacy of Dwight Clark. This one is emotional. Clark had ALS. Matt was there when several former 49ers visited Clark and read him the letters. It turned into a documentary and now, a book.
Matt discusses how football changed after 'the catch'. He also got us caught up on the current 49ers team and how they look.&nbsp;

No one knew more about football than Seattle Sports' human database for everything NFL: “The Professor” John Clayton. His lifelong obsession with the game elevated Clayton from high school sports reporter to the writers’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. John sadly passed away on March 18, 2022, yet his legacy lives on through his intimate knowledge about the game of football. 

Schooled with "The Professor" John Clayton was a great example of his impact on the National Football League. Take a look back at Clayton's stories from his Hall of Fame career.

No one knew more about football than Seattle Sports' human database for everything NFL: &ldquo;The Professor&rdquo; John Clayton. His lifelong obsession with the game elevated Clayton from high school sports reporter to the writers&rsquo; wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. John sadly passed away on March 18, 2022, yet his legacy lives on through his intimate knowledge about the game of football.&nbsp;
Schooled with "The Professor" John Clayton was a great example of his impact on the National Football League. Take a look back at Clayton's stories from his Hall of Fame career.

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