Braddock Native, Hall of Fame Journalist John Clayton Dies at 67

NFL Hall of Fame journalist broadcaster John Clayton passed away Friday at the age of 67 according to ESPN.

A Braddock native, Clayton was a graduate of Churchill Area High School where he started writing. He graduated from Duquesne University in 1976. Following that, Clayton became a prominent beat writer covering the Steelers in the Pittsburgh area. Clayton worked for outlets such as AP Radio, Steel City Sports, and the Pittsburgh Press.

He later headed to Seattle in 1986 to cover the Seattle Seahawks for the News Tribune. Clayton would work closely with Seattle radio stations to continue his extensive coverage of the team.

In 1995, Clayton was hired by ESPN. He became a national reporter and radio host for the company. Clayton would gain national prominence from his appearances on Sportscenter and classic performances in numerous ESPN commercials over the early 2000s.

Clayton hosted a show with Sean Salisbury called Four Downs. He later ended up hosting his own radio show on ESPN Seattle on Saturdays. In addition, Clayton hosted the ‘Schooled With the Professor’ podcast.

In 2001, Clayton was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at Duquesne University. Clayton was awarded the Dick McCann Memorial Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. This made him a Hall of Famer. It put him in the unique company in the writer’s section of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.