John Clayton, former TNT reporter, dean of NFL writers known as ‘The Professor,’ has died
John Clayton, a veteran sportswriter and former Tacoma News Tribune reporter who raised the bar of excellence for a generation of reporters covering professional football, died Friday after a short illness, according to multiple news reports and official statements. He was 67.
The Seattle Seahawks announced the death for Clayton’s family in a statement. Clayton worked for the team in recent years as a sideline reporter on radio broadcasts.
Nicknamed “The Professor,” Clayton spent more than two decades covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Pittsburgh Press and the Seattle Seahawks for The News Tribune in Tacoma.
Clayton covered the Seahawks in the 1980s and 1990s, from the heyday of Coach Chuck Knox through the losing years of coaches Tom Flores and Dennis Erickson. The franchise changed hands twice during his run on the beat — first from Seattle’s Nordstrom family to California land developer Ken Behring, then from Behring to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
Former TNT Executive Editor David Zeeck, who arrived at the paper in 1994, knew little about Clayton at first.
“I was only aware that local staff considered John to be a star reporter,” Zeeck said. “In my first few days, I heard the operator call John to tell him to pick up a line because Tom Landry (retired from the Cowboys) was on the phone. Or Bill Parcells, then coach of the Patriots. Tom Flores called me to complain that John reported a player signing — accurately — before his own player-personnel people confirmed it to the coach.”
According to News Tribune archives, Clayton’s last articles for the paper date to 1998, when the Green Bay Packers and a young Brett Favre faced veteran John Elway and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII.
“John Elway doesn’t envy Brett Favre’s youth,” Clayton wrote in a preview story. “Why should he? For 15 years, Elway has been like Favre, the quarterback with a gunslinger’s arm who carried a franchise.”
Age and guile overcame youth and talent that year. Favre was returning to the big game after a win the previous season. Elway won his first Super Bowl after four losses.
While still writing for The News Tribune, Clayton joined ESPN in 1995. He became one of the lead NFL writers for the network. He appeared on TV and radio for ESPN and worked at the company for more than 20 years.
“His wife Pat and sister Amy were at his side and communicated earlier he passed peacefully after a brief illness,” longtime ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen tweeted. “We loved John. We are mourning his loss.”
Clayton was awarded with what is now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award by the Professional Football Writers of America in 2007. The award is presented annually for long and distinguished reporting on football.
As a reporter, Clayton was tireless and knowledgeable — a fast-talking encyclopedia — but he freely made fun of his perceived geeky image, appearing in one famous SportsCenter ad as a shouting Slayer fan. His true strength was reporting; unlike his predecessors, he covered the business of the NFL as much or more than the romance and celebrity, setting a tone and style later adopted by NFL reporters such as Adam Schefter and Albert Breer.
Tributes from the sportswriting world poured in Friday night, coming from colleagues and friends. Former News Tribune reporter Mike Sando, now writing for The Athletic, was one of them.
Clayton’s detailed breakdowns of trades, injury reports and league doings have become standard fare in football and sports journalism, but they were unprecedented in the 1990s, when his reports frequently forced other outlets to raise their game. He still casts a long shadow; multiple News Tribune reporters followed his example.
“John’s strength as a reporter was his sources,” Zeeck said. “Impeccable, in every nook and cranny of the NFL. His ability to engender trust and respect was unmatched. That’s what got him the great stories, ahead of everybody else. Those phone calls, regularly, from the top coaches and general managers in the league really impressed me. That just doesn’t happen with any but the very best reporters in any subject.”
A final nod to Clayton’s stature in the sports journalism world came Saturday in a statement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell:
“John Clayton, one of the first ‘Insiders,’ helped bring fans closer to the game they loved. For five decades, he covered the league with endless energy and professionalism. He earned my tremendous respect and admiration as a journalist but more importantly as a wonderful person, particularly as it relates to the love, care, and devotion to his wife Pat. We will miss John and send our deepest condolences to Pat and his sister Amy.”
Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 11:02 PM.