Legendary NFL writer John Clayton passes away at the age of 67

The sports world was stunned on Friday evening with the news that John Clayton passed away at the age of 67. A long-time football writer who gained national fame during his time with ESPN, Clayton joined the staff at 104.3 The Fan in 2021 as a contributor to the station’s web site and an on-air contributor.

“Our entire team at 104.3 The Fan and DenverFan.com is devastated by the loss of our colleague John Clayton earlier today,” Raj Sharan, program director for 104.3 The Fan, said on Friday evening. “John’s legacy covering the game of football is incredible and it was truly an honor to work with him as our Senior Broncos Writer.”

Clayton joined the station in February 2021, adding a Hall-of-Fame writer to the lineup. He was already a legend in NFL circles, making it a huge coup for the station.

“When I first spoke with John about joining our team, I was blown away by his enthusiasm to not only write about the Broncos, but to do so every single day,” Sharan added. “John did all of this while balancing a very busy schedule including caring for his wife Pat. His contributions over the past year to the growth of DenverFan.com were immeasurable, adding not only great content but unmatched credibility based on his decades of quality work.”

His writing and on-air appearances were only part of Clayton’s contributions, however. He made an impact well beyond those moments.

“More importantly than what he wrote or what he said about football, it was a pleasure to get to know the person,” Sharan continued. “John was warm, funny and very kind to all of his colleagues on our team. We’ll miss talking Broncos with John or reading his latest on the team, but more than that, we’ll simply miss our friend and teammate.”

Clayton spent the past 50 years covering sports. He began his career while still a student in high school, writing bi-weekly stories for the St. Marys, Pennsylvania Daily Press. He later wrote for Steel City Sports, a weekly publication in Pittsburgh.

Clayton graduated from Duquesne University in 1976 and went on to work for The Pittsburgh Press, a paper that he wrote for on a part-time basis during college. He worked his way up to become the Steelers beat writer at the Press, before leaving the paper in 1986.

He moved across the country and began covering the Seattle Seahawks for The News Tribune in Tacoma. In 1995, Clayton joined ESPN as an NFL reporter.

In that role, he would grow in popularity. As the network boomed, so too did their on-air personalities, Clayton included. He was a trusted reporter and appeared across multiple ESPN platforms.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement on Saturday morning, showing just how respected Clayton was across the league.

​”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,” Goodell said.

Clayton received the Dick McCann Memorial Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also inducted into the sports hall of fame at Duquesne University in 2001.

It added up to a legendary career. It made John Clayton a one-of-a-kind NFL journalist.

“Our thoughts are with Pat, his family and all of our colleagues at Seattle Sports 710 during this difficult time,” Sharan concluded. “Rest in Peace, Professor.”