NBC Sports Bay Area celebrated the life and legacy of of San Francisco 49ers legend Dwight Clark with Letters to 87, a 30-minute documentary featuring heartfelt stories from fans on what they were doing at the the time of "The Catch" and the impact Clark's iconic play had on their lives. The film was produced and directed by Emmy Award-winning producer Sean Maddison and NBC Sports Bay Area’s 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco.
Clark joined Matt Maiocco on the 49ers Insider Podcast on Feb. 22, and expressed his interest in collecting letters from fans sharing their stories about "The Catch" and its impact upon their lives. Maiocco put the word out, and the letters poured in. Two weeks before Clark passed away on June 4, 2018 following a valiant battle with ALS, Maiocco traveled to Whitefish, Montana with Clark's friends and former teammates to read him the letters.
“On August 7—8/7, for his retired jersey number—the documentary Letters to 87 premiered on NBC Sports Bay Area. Emmy Award–winning producer Sean Maddison beautifully captured the essence of the letters and the mutual love between Dwight and his fans. I could not have been more proud to be involved in the project.
After the documentary aired, there was an overwhelming reaction from 49ers fans and those who knew Dwight: This must become a book. We owe it to Dwight.”