Dwight Clark Legacy Series

Dwight Clark’s tangible contribution to the 49ers’ dynasty of the 1980s was his production as a wide receiver. Most notably, Clark authored the most famous play in franchise history, "The Catch," which lifted the organization to its
first Super Bowl in January of 1982.

The Dwight Clark Legacy Series is an annual event featuring themed roundtable conversations with former and current 49ers, and the presentation of the Dwight Clark Award.

100% of the money the Dwight Clark Legacy Series raises will be donated to
The Golden Heart Fund.

“The Golden Heart Fund is homegrown, it's board is filled with former 49er players. Obviously, we have respect for all of our NFL alumni across the league but there's a special bond for all of us with the team we played for"

Keena Turner
Four-time Super Bowl champion, current 49er Vice President, & senior advisor to the general manager

Four-time Super Bowl champion with the 49ers and current 49ers Vice President and Senior Advisor to the General Manager Keena Turner spoke at Dwight Clark Legacy Series on Clark’s own desire to build something for The Golden Heart Fund (TGHF) that he helped make great.

“This was Dwight’s request, he felt that this was something that could support his former team,” said Turner. “It’s a tremendous legacy and it speaks to the character of Dwight Clark”

Turner played alongside Clark and is now in his 26th year in the 49er’s front office, and his fifth in his current role.

“TGHF is homegrown, it’s board is filled with former 49er players. Obviously we have respect for all of our NFL alumni across the league, but there’s a special bond for all of us with the team that we played for,” said Turner when asked about 49ers alumni staying involved with the team.

“When you think about the accomplishments on the field, the rich history of alumni even before all of the Super Bowls and this current group of players, it speaks to who we are as an organization,” Turner concluded.

2022 Dwight Clark Legacy Series

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, the recipient of this year’s Dwight Clark Award, highlighted one of Clark's other attributes. Armstead used the term "glue guy" to describe D.C.'s ability to keep everyone together and pulling in the same direction.

Armstead, a native of Sacramento, expressed his gratitude for the honor in front of a packed crowd on June 1, 2022 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

“I’m humbled to be mentioned even in the same breath as the legendary Dwight Clark,” Armstead said.

The theme of the program was a night with Pro Football Hall of Famers. The evening concluded with Charles Haley, Terrell Owens, Steve Young and Bryant Young sharing laughs and poignant moments as part of a memorable panel discussion.

The group welcomed Bryant Young into the prestigious club. Young will be inducted in August as part of the Class of 2022 during the enshrinement weekend in Canton, Ohio.

The third annual event in the Dwight Clark Legacy Series raised more than $150,000 for the Golden Heart Fund, the non-profit organization that Clark singled out as his charity of choice before his passing on June 4, 2018.

The evening began with a lively VIP discussion inside the Bedford Gallery. Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey of KNBR co-hosted the event, which featured discussions with Dwaine Board, Junior Bryant, Kevin Gogan, and Gary Plummer.

When the main program began inside the Hofmann Theatre, 49ers general manager John Lynch took the stage to participate in a Q&A session on the state of the franchise with Laura Britt and Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Killjan Anderson, the executive director of the Golden Heart Fund, explained the mission of the organization before former star linebacker Patrick Willis presented the award to Armstead.

“This is a full-circle moment for me,” Armstead said. “I’ve only been to one NFL game before I played in the NFL and it was a 49ers-Seahawks game. The only thing I remember from that game is Patrick Willis must’ve had 20 tackles that day. He made every play on the field, and I’ve been a fan of his since then.”

The success of the event was made possible through the generous sponsorships of the San Francisco 49ers, Candy and Eddie DeBartolo, Tracy Toyota, Sunshine Design, Devcon, HGGC, Christie’s International Real Estate, Lesher Foundation, The Ring Family Foundation, Agatha and Stephen Luczo.

All photographs below by Austin Ginn

2021 Dwight Clark Legacy Series

During the 49ers’ run to their first Super Bowl, the team’s defensive backfield took center stage in the organization’s turnaround season of 1981.

Forty years later, on a warm August evening at the Concord Pavilion, that group got together to share laughs, never-before-told stories and some poignant moments in front of a large gathering of fans, friends and former teammates.

Dwight Hicks, Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson — forever known in 49ers lore as “Dwight Hicks and the Hot Licks” — were back on a stage of a different kind for the Dwight Clark Legacy Series.

Two-time winning Super Bowl head coach George Seifert, who was the defensive backs coach for that first Super Bowl season, joined the lively, wide-ranging panel discussion.

The fundraiser for the Golden Heart Fund, Clark’s charity of choice, brought together some legendary figures in 49ers history, including former team president Carmen Policy.

Current 49ers star tight end George Kittle joined the celebration. He was presented with the first Dwight Clark Legacy Award.

Brent Jones, one of the great 49ers tight ends of the past, presented the award to Kittle. As Jones described, the award reflects “that competitive nature, that intensity and the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie that Dwight personified.”

Kittle, who spent considerable time with members of Clark’s family that evening, never met the man who made “The Catch.” But he knew plenty about D.C.

“The amount of great things that coaches and teammates have to say about him is honestly just overwhelming,” Kittle said. “He was appreciative to play the game of football, for getting to make great friends, for getting to make all those incredible memories with all of them.”

All photographs below by Terrell Lloyd