Table of Biography
John Clayton is a late American sports journalist. John Clayton worked as a writer for the National Football League (NFL) and a reporter for ESPN, as well as a senior writer for ESPN.com.
Early Life
John Travis Clayton, better known as John Clayton was born in Braddock, Pennsylvania, the United States, on May 11, 1954. At the age of 67 years old, he passed away and had a birth sign of Taurus. He holds a US nationality and practices Christianity religion.
Till the time of his death, he never revealed the details about his parents as well as his childhood life. According to an online website, he was raised along with his brother Jeff Clayton. Other than this, there is no proper information available about his early life on online websites.
Education and Early Career
Clayton attended Churchill Area High School. During his high school days, he started covering sports. He began covering the Pittsburgh Steelers in twice-weekly dispatches for the Daily Press in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, in 1972. He eventually worked as a stringer for AP Radio and CBS Radio, as well as writing for Steel City Sports. In 197, he graduated from Duquesne University.
Death
Clayton died on March 18, 2022, at the age of 67, from an undisclosed brief illness in a hospital in Bellevue, Washington.
Professional Career
After graduating from college, John Clayton began working for The Pittsburgh Press. He was sent to cover a Steelers minicamp in May 1978. at his visit, he uncovered and reported a rule violation involving Steelers players wearing shoulder pads at minicamp, which cost the team a third-round draft pick.
Moreover, he rose through the ranks at the Press to become the Steelers beat reporter before leaving in 1986. He relocated to Tacoma, Washington, and began covering the Seattle Seahawks for The News Tribune.
Moreover, he began participating in NFL parts on Seattle sports radio station KJR (AM) on presenter Nanci Donnellan’s show The Fabulous Sports Babe around this time. He joined Donnellan’s show as an NFL correspondent once it was picked up by ESPN for national syndication.
Joined ESPN
In 1995, he joined ESPN as a reporter. He eventually added a weekly radio show during the NFL offseason to his responsibilities. He co-hosted the show with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury, and it featured “Four Downs,” a debate with Salisbury about current NFL topics.
Caption: John Clayton working as an ESPN reporter (Source: CNN)
Additionally, he appeared in the “This is SportsCenter” commercial, in which he was featured out of character in a sleeveless Slayer t-shirt and a concealed ponytail. Working for over two decades at ESPN, he left as part of mass layoffs by the network on May 31, 2017. During his time at ESPN, he was also a senior writer for ESPN.com.
Radio Works
Clayton was a frequent contributor to KJR(AM) till the time of his death. Moreover, first joined in 1990 as a radio talk show host. Moreover, he hosted the program named Sports Saturday Show on Saturday mornings.
He was a frequent caller on sports talk radio stations around the country. Moreover, he relocated his show to the new ESPN station after Seattle’s KIRO switched to an all-sports format. After being let go by ESPN, he continued to work at KIRO. He began contributing to the website and radio station 104.3 The Fan in Denver in February 2021.
Awards
Working as a sports journalist for decades, he earned several achievements and awards for his contribution. In 2007, he received the Dick McCann Memorial Award from the Pro Football Writers of America. This honour places him in the “writer’s wing” of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He was also honoured in his alma mater, Duquesne University’s, sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Braddock, his hometown, declared March 18, 2018, “John Clayton Day” in his honour.
John Clayton – Net Worth 2024
At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at around $31 million, and he earned around $2 million annual salary as a reporter. He has been able to make this sum of money through his hard work and dedication to his profession.
Relationship Status
Until his death, John Clayton was married to his wife, Patricia Clayton. The couple first met while working for The News Tribune, where she covered bowling. With the marriage, the couple is blessed with a son named Gerald Clayton. Moreover, Clayton had never been a part of controversy or scandal till the time of his death and had maintained a good image.
Body Measurements
Clayton stands 5 feet 6 inches tall (1.70 m) and weighs around 65 kg (144 lbs). In addition, he has a pair of blue eyes, brown hair colour, and got slim body build.
Social Media
He is considered one of the most successful sports journalists to date. Unfortunately, this man is no longer alive in this world, so we can say that, he is not active on any kind of social media platform.