John Clayton

2022 - 3 - 19

Longtime NFL reporter John Clayton dies at 67 (unknown)

John Clayton, one of the country's foremost NFL insiders who covered the league to great depths during a 20-plus-year career at ESPN, died Friday, ...

He also spent five seasons as a sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks Radio Network. There's so much information and analytical stuff, it's phenomenal." ESPN hired Clayton in 1995 as a jack-of-all-trades for its NFL coverage. In 2007, Clayton received what is now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, which the Professional Football Writers of America presents annually for long and distinguished reporting on football. Our condolences to his wife Pat, family, colleagues and his many friends." Relive one of the best This is SportsCenter commercials of all time, featuring hard rock fan John Clayton. (0:30)

Longtime NFL reporter John Clayton passes away at 67 (unknown)

Known as "The Professor," John Clayton was a much-respected and beloved figure in the NFL media world who passed away after a brief illness. He was 67.

A Pennsylvania native, Clayton, who won the 2007 Dick McCann Award for making a "long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage," covered the Steelers at The Pittsburgh Press and later the Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. In 1995, he joined ESPN as an insider. The last time I talked to him was for his podcast and we spent most of our time talking off air about Pat — he was happy that day because she was coming home from the hospital after a brief stay. "He was the first person to call me when it was announced I was coming to the NFL Network and his advice about doing TV was classic: 'Just talk like we talk in the press box.' He loved the job.

Longtime NFL insider and former Seahawks reporter John Clayton has passed away (unknown)

Some sad and unexpected news has rocked the Seattle sports community and NFL journalism. John Clayton, longtime Seattle Seahawks and NFL insider, ...

When I first got into the Seattle sports scene, John was one of the first ppl who consistently had me on his show. Clayton is not just a Seattle sports radio icon but he was a legend in the sports journalism industry. After his national run with ESPN came to an end, Clayton joined Seattle Seahawks radio broadcasts as a sideline reporter in the 2017 season, a position he maintained up until his death.

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Seattle Times"

Known for outworking everyone, John Clayton loved every aspect of his job covering Seahawks and NFL (The Seattle Times)

John Clayton was the best reporter I ever saw — fearless, relentless, tireless (as he made clear) and as well connected in his arena as anyone could possibly be. He knew everybody in the NFL, it seemed, and could get them on the phone at a moment's notice.

During Seahawks road trips, when all the other writers would go out to dinner on Saturday night, Clayton would invariably stay in his room to update his data bases — his pride and joy. I once saw John spend an entire day trying to track down every team’s Pro Bowl selections that were going to be released later in the day. He was known to almost never turn down a request to be a guest on any sports talk show in the country. The nuggets of information he conveyed during his “Inside the Huddle” segments made him an invaluable news source, especially for fantasy players. I’ve seen Clayton at airports — he would get besieged for autographs like he was the rock star. Clayton’s illness came on with shocking suddenness, even though some people had noticed in recent weeks that he hadn’t quite seemed to be himself. John was great company, and I’d like to think his work ethic brought out the best in me as a competitor. The only thing he loved more was his wife, Pat, whom he met when she worked at the News Tribune as an agate clerk. The concept of “vacation” was foreign to him, but instead of getting burned out, John seemed to be perpetually energized. This was long before cellphones; John had a special personal landline hard-wired into the media room so he could both make and field calls — which he did, non-stop, all day and into the night, still working when my 10 or 12 or 14 hours were up. He knew everybody in the NFL, it seemed, and could get them on the phone at a moment’s notice. It was 1996, and I had just joined The Seattle Times as Seahawks beat writer — his turf.

Remembering Legendary Seahawks, NFL Reporter John Clayton (SeahawkMaven)

One of the most iconic reporters to cover any sport, Clayton passed away at the age of 67 on Friday, leaving an irreplaceable void in the NFL media ...

While none of us in the market covering teams individually will ever stack up to him and his passing leaves a permanent void, we should all look to emulate the qualities that made Clayton both an incredible reporter and an even better man. But that was who he was with everyone, a kind, gentle soul who didn't view himself as a superior to his peers even though he was one of the true heavy hitters in this profession. Moving forward, the Seattle sports scene and NFL coverage in general will never be quite the same without Clayton. He was truly one of a kind, a walking football encyclopedia always prepared for whatever was thrown at him who consistently pushed the limits to improve. Since I was commuting from Spokane to cover games at that time and have only been on the beat full-time for two years, I didn't have many other chances to interact with Clayton in person. He welcomed me to Seattle and we spoke for a few minutes about what had just transpired on the field in a preseason game. And of course, I'd finish with Clayton shouting, "Hey ma, I'm done with my segment!," referencing his iconic SportsCenter commercial where he rocked long hair and jammed to Slayer after doing a quick report for ESPN. As a metal enthusiast myself, that made me hold him in even greater reverence.

Longtime NFL reporter John Clayton, known as 'The Professor,' has ... (CTV News)

Longtime NFL reporter John Clayton, who was known as 'The Professor' because of his encyclopedic knowledge of the game, died Friday. He was 67.

"He was a Pittsburgh media icon who covered the Steelers for over a decade in the 1970s and 1980s ... Our thoughts are with his wife, Pat, during this difficult time." "He literally never said no to a show that asked him to come on -- from 6 a.m. to midnight, if you asked for the Professor, he was there for you. I'll also personally remember how he loved and cared for his beloved wife Pat as she has battled multiple sclerosis.