NFL Journalist and Radio Host John Clayton Dies at 67

RADIO ONLINE | Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 12:46pm CT

John Clayton

Veteran radio broadcaster and NFL insider/journalist John Clayton has died. He was 67. Known to millions as "The Professor," Clayton enjoyed a Hall of Fame career that included covering the Seattle Seahawks, as a beat writer for The Tacoma News Tribune, a long tenure as an ESPN NFL analyst and hosting sports radio shows in Seattle, including KIRO (Seattle Sports 710 AM) for the past 14 years. He was a daily presence on Seattle Sports radio shows as well as a longtime contributor to SeattleSports.com as a columnist.

"John was a treasured member of our team," said Bonneville Seattle Senior Vice President and Market Manager Cathy Cangiano. "John was a legend in our industry and a true Hall-of-Famer. He was a consistent advocate for the game of football. His connections, friendships and relationships throughout the sports world were simply unmatched. His love of football was only surpassed by his love, loyalty and dedication to his wife Pat. John will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Pat and his family and friends."

"John was an amazing journalist, colleague and friend," added Seattle Sports 710 AM Program Director Kyle Brown. "A Hall of Famer both personally and professionally, John was one of the most loyal people you'd ever meet. While his loyalty extended to friends and co-workers, it was never stronger than in his commitment to his beloved wife Pat, who he cherished every moment of his life. Our Seattle Sports family will miss John dearly and keep his family in our hearts."

Clayton started his career in 1972 covering his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, then served as a Seattle Seahawks reporter for The Tacoma News Tribune. He was hired in 1995 by ESPN to cover the NFL and was a regular on the channel's programming for 20 years. He was perhaps best known for his weekly "Four Downs" segment with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury.

In 2007, John was honored with The Bill Nunn Memorial Award, presented annually by the Professional Football Writers of America for long and distinguished reporting on football.