Sad. Horrible disease!
My big brother loved the cowboys when we were growing up so naturally I hated them. I would spend all day sunday in a different room pulling like hell for whoever the cowboys were playing and then gloat about to my brother if it actually happened (rarely). The day Dwight Clark caught that pass I ran across the house to talk shit to my bro and then I caught the look on his face, a mix of disbelief and trying not to cry. I still talked smack but it was only halfhearted and learned a lesson that day that it is really not cool to kick a guy while he is down (except for Tarholes and Dukies- fuck them). RIP Dwight Clark- one of my best football memories as a kid.
Sad news. Condolences to his family and friends.
Is it just coincidence or does ALS seem to hit athletes a lot?
Without looking it up, I believe there's a connection between ALS and late adolescence/early adulthood head trauma.
Clark said that he felt his ALS was attributable to concussions from playing football. Clark was from Kinston and was a really good HS basketball player (and preferred hoop), but he was a better football player.
While at Clemson, Clark dated Shawn Weatherly who went on to become Miss USA and Miss Universe.