John Clayton, beloved NFL insider at ESPN, dies at 67By Joseph Wilkinson
Mar 18, 2022 at 9:20 PM
John Clayton, the ESPN NFL insider who became a fan favorite in an eccentric commercial, died Friday. He was 67.
“John Clayton passed away today at a Seattle area hospital,” ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweeted. “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.” ...
The reserved Clayton, always seen in eyeglasses and suit, famously flipped his personality for a “SportsCenter” commercial: blaring hard rock music, living in his mother’s home and rocking a secret mullet. ...
In 2007, Clayton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a reporter. After ESPN let him go in 2017, Clayton continued hosting a radio show in Seattle on 710 AM KIRO. He also wrote columns for the station’s website. His most recent writing ran on March 10. ...
Chicago Tribune