Former Browns quarterbackBernie Kosar chose to joke to ESPN radio in Clevelandabout Dwight Clark’sALS diagnosisby saying he believes the disease could be traced back to when Clark was the general manager of the Browns.
“We had a bad weekend with Gale Sayers being diagnosed (with dementia), Dwight Clark with ALS, I can make a joke about his struggles in picking players when he was here,” Kosar said. “It almost makes me wonder if maybe it started earlier.”
When news of his joke started to spread, Kosar took to Twitter to let everyone know “he meant no disrespect.”
Clark was GM of the Browns when the team returned to Cleveland in 1999. He served in the role until 2002, but resigned after the team went 21-43 in that time. He also selected quarterback bust Tim Couch with the number one pick in the 1999 draft.
While he may not have been the greatest GM, Clark will always be a part of one of the most famous plays in the history of the NFL.
Clark came down with “the catch” in the NFC Championship game on January 10, 1982. The wide receiver’s game-winning 6-yard touchdown reception from Joe Montana sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl appearance with a 28-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Monday,Clark released a blog postrevealing he was battling ALS. He pointed to his nine seasons in the NFL for what possibly caused the disease.
“I don’t know for sure. But I certainly suspect it did,” Clark wrote. “And I encourage the NFLPA and the NFL to continue working together in their efforts to make the game of football safer, especially as it relates to head trauma.”
