The NFL is still mourning the loss of John Clayton, a frequent contributor to ESPN and one of the most respected voices in sports journalism. Based in Seattle for much of his career, the longtime radio and TV personality passed away at 67 last month following a brief illness.
A pioneer in his field, where he emerged as one of the first “insiders” (paving the way for news-breakers like Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport), Clayton rose to prominence as an NFL reporter for ESPN, a role he held until his departure from the network in 2017. Thursday, Clayton was honored by his hometown Seahawks, who reserved a seat for him at the NFL Draft in Las Vegas.
Clayton also had a strong sense of humor, poking fun at himself in a SportsCenter commercial depicting the beloved journalist as a long-haired, metalhead still living at home in his childhood bedroom.
Former colleague Field Yates, in a clever reference to the commercial, donned a Slayer t-shirt before Thursday night’s Draft.
Clayton’s tenure at ESPN harkens back to a simpler time, before mainstream media was overtaken by rampant commercialism (segments on NBA Countdown now last all of 30 seconds) and the prevalence of “debate culture,” rewarding style and spectacle over substance. Needless to say, Clayton’s thorough reporting and trademark professionalism will be sorely missed.
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