John Clayton, NFL Insider and Former ESPN Reporter, Dies at Age 67

The Seattle Seahawks announced Friday night that long-time reporter John Clayton had died. He was 67.

Chris Mortensen @mortreport

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.We loved John. We are mourning his loss.

Pat has asked the @Seahawks to release further information.

After a long and storied career in football journalism, which included working for the Pittsburgh Press, the Tacoma News Tribune and ESPN, he was hired by Seattle Sports 710 on the radio and a sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks Radio Network.

One of the teams covered by him paid tribute on Friday.

Pittsburgh Steelers @steelers

pic.twitter.com/r7OBpMKx8f

A number of his former colleagues paid their respects.

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter

John Clayton will be remembered in so many ways, 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. He was a pioneer, a caretaker, a Hall of Famer and a slayer, in every sense. pic.twitter.com/34rFeSjiEW

Mina Kimes @minakimes

Like a lot of Seattle sports fans, I looked up to John; I’ll never forget when he emerged from Hall of Fame voting to tell me, excitedly, that Kenny Easley got in. He loved Seahawks football and we loved him for it. RIP to a kind, thoughtful man. https://t.co/HLUjXurkir

Seth Wickersham @SethWickersham

My friend of 22 years John Clayton died. He was one of those colleagues who was not only always eager to help you, but went above and beyond to help. He took his work seriously, with all his files and spreadsheets, but not himself. RIP to a gentleman and Hall of Famer.

Bill Barnwell @billbarnwell

So sad to hear about the passing of John Clayton. I grew up learning about football from John as a fan and it was a thrill to be on his radio show. What a nice man. RIP to a legend.

Kevin Seifert @SeifertESPN

I’m in shock after hearing about John Clayton. Have so many (unintentionally) hysterical JC stories. Truly one of a kind. Left me hundreds of voicemails over the years. Always identified himself, using his full name, and left his number — long after caller ID made that moot. 😢

Journalists from all over the world took the time to honor him as a man and a reporter.

Albert Breer @AlbertBreer

This really sucks. John legitimately didn’t have a bad bone in his body. So nice to everyone. And he was never cynical about the job—he LOVED it (Only thing he’d ever brag about was his ability to hit 32 camps in like 25 days).

RIP to a legend. You’ll be missed, John. https://t.co/3bOW7KbHmv

Rick Stroud @NFLSTROUD

He is a legend in our business and that’s not hyperbole. He’s kind and decent and had time for everyone. I talked to him a couple weeks ago and I can’t believe another friend is gone. 💔💔

Kevin Clark @bykevinclark

John Clayton was an incredibly kind man and eager to help young journalists. He was also a badass journalist.

Kevin Clark @bykevinclark

He refused to BS the audience. He'd call head coaches to make sure every line of every report was correct. He'd drive hours to see for himself a player who was getting ripped in camp before he reported anything. Do you know how much BS there is in this industry? Not from John.

Kevin Clark @bykevinclark

I guess the point is that football journalism was a better place because John Clayton was in it, and it would be in an even better place if we were all a little more like John. He'll be missed by everyone.

Sheil Kapadia @SheilKapadia

For 2 years, was willing to help with anything I needed. Would call just to catch up and fill me in on what he was hearing. It struck me how much he loved his job. Completely in his element covering practice or a game.

A genuinely kind man and legendary football writer. RIP.

"Everyone paying attention walked away a little more educated", said Chris Mortensen, a reporter for the sports network.

The Bill Nunn Memorial Award was given to The Professor in 2007, an award presented by the Professional Football Writers of America each year for distinguished reporting across a journalist's career.

For 50 years, Clayton covered the NFL with passion and integrity, adapting to the game as it evolved and the sportswriting profession changed alongside it.

He told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he loved covering the NFL. There is so much information and analytical stuff.

That makes me happy. I feel like I'm still learning. I get excited about small things.