Every 49ers fan knows who Dwight Clark is. No matter when they started following the team, everyone is familiar with ‘The Catch’ and Clark’s contribution to the legendary moment that kickstarted a dynasty. I’m writing this to tell you about another side of Clark and an unbreakable bond he formed with a lifelong 49ers fan named Osiel Mendoza.
Like Clark, Mendoza was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. For those unfamiliar, ALS is a rapidly progressing neurological (nervous system) disease that belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases.