John Clayton, whose list of contacts in the NFL corresponds only to his attention to detail and commitment to his craft, died Friday in Washington after a brief illness, his family said.
He was 67.
Clayton, nicknamed “The Professor”, was one of the greatest NFL insiders in the country in a five-decade career that spanned over 20 years with ESPN. Clayton’s pursuit of news and information has been so vicious that, as ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said, “Everyone’s attention has gone a little more educated.”
“Long before he became an ESPN icon, John would probably be the best news-breaking team beat reporter of his generation, the guy who could sit on a story for months and then break it before others had a clue what was going on,” he said. said Mike Sando of Athletic, a longtime friend of Clayton’s. “He was so good. On a personal level, John was incredibly generous to me as I succeeded him as the Seahawks’ reporter on the Tacoma News Tribune many years ago. I owe John so much and I will miss him terribly. ”
Clayton, a native of Braddock, Pennsylvania, began his teenage career in 1972 as a teenager to cover the Pittsburgh Steelers in a season that included the “Immaculate Reception.” Seahawks’ blockbuster trade of Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos for Seattle Sports 710 AM, where he was a regular contributor.
“We will miss all your words and brilliance @JohnClaytonNFL #RIPJohnClayton,” Wilson wrote in a tweetAs he and former colleagues and friends of Clayton took to social media Friday night to offer memories.
“The Seahawks are heartbreaking to learn from the death of John Clayton,” he said Team said in a statement. The Steelers called Clayton “a Pittsburgh media icon.”
“The number of NFL execs and coaches I have heard of has expressed an overwhelming theme of great respect and a sense of deep loss and shock,” Mortensen said.
Clayton spent more than a decade on the Tacoma (Wash.) News tribune before running for more than 20 years on ESPN. Clayton has also written for several outlets, including the Washington Post, in recent years following his lengthy stint at ESPN, and has been the Sideline reporter for the Seahawks radio network for five seasons. He has also contributed stories for KKFN-FM (104.3 FM) in Denver since February last year.
“John was a pioneer as an NFL insider but also one of the sweetest men you could ever work with,” said Seth Markman, vice president and executive producer at ESPN. on – from 6 a.m. to midnight, if you asked the professor, he was there for you. I will also personally remember how he loved and cared for his beloved wife Pat as she battled multiple sclerosis. We will miss John very much. ”
Clayton received the highest honor of the profession, now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, in 2007. The award is presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America in recognition of “long and distinguished coverage in the field of pro football.”
“It’s the highest honor a writer can get to cover this sport,” Clayton said at the time.
“The PFWA mourns the past of John Clayton. John was the PFWA’s 19th President (1999-2000) and the recipient of the 2007 Bill Nunn Jr. Award,” the organization said in a statement. “‘The Professor’ has been a friend to so many in our business. Our condolences to his wife Pat, family, colleagues and his many friends.”
Clayton was also a longtime member of the Board of Voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
ESPN hired Clayton in 1995 as Jack-of-all-Trades for its NFL coverage. SportsCenter producers created a weekly segment called “Four Downs” Pitting Clayton against NFL analyst and former quarterback Sean Salisbury. There was must-see TV.
As well as his appearance on “This is SportsCenter” commercials for ESPN, which to this day are among the best of the popular segments. Clayton’s appearance includes a spot where he appears as he appears in the SportsCenter, in a coat and tie, before pulling them both down to discover a Slayer T-shirt, dropping his long hair, jumping on a bed and shouting: “Hey, I’m done with my segment.”
Clayton began his excellent reporting career while still in high school, when he covered the Steelers. He attended Duquesne University and was hired by the Pittsburgh Press when he was a senior at Duquesne.
His love for football never changed from those early days.
“Until they plant me, I think,” he told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in 2018, when asked how long he would cover the NFL. “I love these things. What I love about them is that there are so many more things that we did not have access to years ago and now we do – the payroll information, NFL game rewind where you can watch the coaches. It gives so much information. and analytical stuff, it’s phenomenal. ”
Clayton is survived by his wife Pat, and sister Amy.
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