John Clayton, ESPN NFL reporter, NFL hall of famer and all around fan-favorite, has died at 67. According to TMZ, no cause of death has been revealed but Clayton passed at a Seattle area hospital. Fellow ESPN insider and friend Chris Mortensen shared some details on the death.
“John Clayton passed away today at a Seattle area hospital. His wife Pat and sister Amy were at his side and communicated earlier he passed peacefully after a brief illness,” Mortensen wrote on social media. “We loved John. We are mourning his loss. Pat has asked the [Seahawks] to release further information.”
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Clayton first started professionally covering football in the 1970s out of Pittsburgh, eventually joining ESPN in 1995 with work for their website and memorable TV appearances. He is also the star of one of the network’s greatest SportsCenter adverts, showing the behind-the-scenes workings of his TV appearances.
The ESPN favorite was inducted into the writer’s wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, cementing his legacy and showing just how much he meant to the sport. He was also inducted into the Duquesne University Hall of Fame in 2001.
Clayton earned the nickname “The Professor” during his time in the profession, delivering reports on the NFL that Mortensen said anybody “paying attention walked away a little more educated.” He kicked off his career covering the Immaculate Reception in 1972, still breaking news weeks ago with the news of Russell Wilson heading from Seattle to Denver.
“The PFWA mourns the passing of John Clayton. John was the PFWA’s 19th president (1999-2000) and the organization’s 2007 Bill Nunn Jr. Award recipient,” the Professional Football Writers of America wrote in a statement after the passing. “‘The Professor’ was a friend to so many in our business. Our condolences to his wife Pat, family, colleagues and his many friends.”
ESPN capped Clayton’s career using a quote from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in 2018, revealing when he’d grow tired of football. “Until they plant me, I guess,” he said. “I love this stuff. What I love about it is there’s so much more stuff we didn’t have access to years ago and now we do — the salary information, NFL Game Rewind where you can watch coaches tape. There’s so much information and analytical stuff, it’s phenomenal.”
