Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty
John Clayton, who spent more than 20 years covering the NFL for ESPN, has died following a brief illness. He was 67.
Clayton, nicknamed “The Professor,” died Friday afternoon in Washington state, his family confirmed toESPN.Seattle Sports, where Clayton hostedThe John Clayton Showon Saturday mornings, and the Seattle Seahawks laterconfirmed the reportsin separate statements honoring the late broadcaster.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen saidin a tweetthat Clayton passed away “peacefully” at a Seattle area hospital with his wife Pat and sister Amy “at his side.”
“We loved John,” Mortensen, 70, wrote. “We are mourning his loss.”
Bonneville Seattle Senior Vice President and Market Manager Cathy Cangiano remembered Clayton as “a legend” in the sports broadcasting industry and “a true Hall of Famer” that was “a consistent advocate for the game of football.”
“John was a treasured member of our team,” said Cangiano, later adding: “His connections, friendships, and relationships throughout the sports world were simply unmatched.”
James D Smith/AP
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NFL commissionerRoger Goodelllauded Clayton for helping “bring fans closer to the game they loved"in a statement released Saturday.
“For five decades, he covered the league with endless energy and professionalism,” said Goodell, 63. “He earned my tremendous respect and admiration as a journalist, but more importantly as a wonderful person, particularly as it relates to the love, care, and devotion to his wife Pat. We will miss John and send our deepest condolences to Pat and his sister Amy.”
During his time with ESPN, Clayton starred in one of the most memorableSportsCentercommercials of all time in which he transforms from polished NFL insider to obsessed Slayer fan just seconds after appearing on the network.
10 days ago, Clayton was on the air at Seattle Sports 710 AM to break down themassive Russell Wilson tradeto the Denver Broncos.In his final tweet, posted March 10, Clayton sharedan articleof his assessing what comes next for the Seahawks as the team looks to rebuild.
After learning of Clayton’s passing,Wilson, 33, mourned the journalist’s death on Twitter. “We will all miss your words and brilliance @JohnClaytonNFL #RIPJohnClayton,“the quarterback wrote.
Many other past and present NFL figures also paid tribute to Clayton in wake of his death. Former New England Patriots starJulian Edelmanwas among many Clayton fans to share his iconicSportsCentercommercial while remembering the late broadcaster.
“Every kid grew up listening to John Clayton. #RIP,“wrote Edelman, 35, alongside the clip.
Indianapolis Colts punter-turned-media personality Pat McAfee, who also hails from the Pittsburgh area, remembered Clayton as “a Pittsburgh football guy” and “an absolute legend"in his Twitter tributealongside a GIF of Clayton from hisSportsCenterad.
“He was always insanely nice to me.. even when I was young and not good at my job,” wrote McAfee, 34. “A genuine dude… The football world will miss him mightily. Rest easy.”
The Steelers alsooffered their condolencesin a statement shared Friday evening on Twitter. “We are very saddened to learn of the passing of John Clayton,” the team said, later adding that their “thoughts are with his wife, Pat, during this difficult time.”
Many of Clayton’s former colleagues fondly remembered the veteran journalist with their own personal tributes on social media. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter described the longtime analyst as “a pioneer, a caretaker, a Hall of Famer and a slayer, in every sense” alongside the belovedSportsCenterad.
“John Clayton will be remembered in so many ways,“wrote Schefter, 55, “from how he looked after his wife Pat, to the mark he made in reporting, to the standard he set. He dedicated his life to his wife and to football.”
In a Twitter thread, ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham said Clayton “took his work seriously … but not himself.”
“He was one of those colleagues who was not only always eager to help you, but went above and beyond to help,“Wickersham wroteon Twitter,later addingin his thread that Clayton “was an incredible husband and proud native of Pittsburgh, with a knowledge of funk that rivaled his salary cap mastery.”
In another tweet, Wickersham said his former coworker “loved football and loved to share what he learned about it, and how it worked.”
source: people.com
