San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco sports figures honored in naming ceremony

Published Apr. 23, 2017 11:49 p.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Joe Montana passed to Dwight Clark for another memorable play on Sunday.

San Francisco plans to name the streets of a development on the land formerly occupied by Candlestick Park after some of the city's most prominent sports figures, and Montana says he wants ''Joe Montana Drive'' to be renamed ''Joe Montana-Dwight Clark Drive.''

Montana and Clark hooked up for the winning touchdown in the 1981 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys. Clark's leaping grab in the back of the end zone is remembered simply as ''The Catch.''

Montana says he wants ''to honor my very special friend.'' Clark, whose No. 87 has been retired by the 49ers, announced last month he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that attacks cells that control muscles.

''The first time (Clark) saw me he thought I was the kicker, and if it wasn't for that `well-placed' throw that he caught, we would still be chasing the Cowboys today,'' Montana said.

The city of San Francisco announced its plans for the streets in a dedication ceremony on Sunday. Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott and former coach Bill Walsh are among the honorees on the 49ers' side, and former San Francisco Giants players Barry Bonds, Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal also will have streets named after them.

''These names will honor the history of the `stick, and recognize some of the amazing athletes who've called the city home,'' San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said of the plans to recognize the city's sports stars on a 7,000-home master planned development, the city's largest such project in more than a century.

''When these families move into the neighborhood they'll be living on streets bearing the names of some of San Francisco's most cherished athletes and executives,'' Lee said.