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Dwight Clark’s six-yard TD reception helped end the Cowboys domination.

My front-running childhood friends were fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. It made playground discussions a drag some days. But something fortunate happened right around fifth grade for me.

The 49ers won the NFC Championship.

Dwight Clark caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana in January of 1982. I watched “The Catch” on television in my parent’s living room. Then, I bolted through the family room sliding glass doors into the backyard, whooping and shouting.

The 49ers led 28-27.

The final 51 seconds of the game were terrifying. The Cowboys took the ensuing kickoff and marched toward field-goal range. Then, defensive end Lawrence Pillers sacked Cowboys’ quarterback Danny White near midfield, causing a fumble. Jim Stuckey jumped on the ball. The 49ers took a knee.

Thank you to Pillers and Stuckey. Their contributions to my childhood were as important as that celebrated touchdown reception by Clark. The Cowboys stranglehold on the NFC ended that day. The 49ers won the Super Bowl. And I walked a little taller on the playground.

After football, Pillers ran a Subway sandwich shop and bought a trucking company. Stuckey got into real estate after the NFL. They’re both retired now. I know. I did some research because I wanted to give them a nod.

A week such as this makes you think of such things.

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Onto the Monday Mailbag…