John Clayton (sportscaster)
Encyclopedia
John Travis Clayton is a National Football League
(NFL) writer and reporter for ESPN
. He is also a senior writer for ESPN.com
.
' training camp, he covered the team in twice-weekly dispatches in the St. Marys, Pennsylvania
Daily Press.
Clayton went on to attend Duquesne University
. Upon graduating in 1976, he began writing for the Pittsburgh Press
.
In May 1978, Clayton was sent to cover a Steelers mini-camp in place of the Press' regular Steelers beat writer, Glenn Sheeley. While there he discovered and reported a rules violation which would cost the team a draft pick
. The affair was dubbed "Shouldergate" by Clayton. Clayton became persona non grata
for some time in his hometown for his role in the affair.
Clayton eventually 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 Tacoma News Tribune
in Tacoma, Washington
. It was at this time that he began appearing in NFL segments on Seattle sports radio station KJR (AM) on host Nancy Donnelan's program "The Fabulous Sports Babe
". When Donnelan's show was picked up by ESPN for national syndication, Clayton came along as an NFL correspondent.
as a reporter and later added to his duties a weekly radio show during the NFL offseason. He hosted the show with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury
; the show included "Four Downs," a debate with Salisbury over current NFL issues. Their debates often became quite heated, with Salisbury referring to Clayton as the "Cryptkeeper" and "Mr. Peabody", mocking his geeky/decrepit appearance and voice, and Clayton responding by calling Salisbury "Mr. Backup" based on his limited playing time during his NFL career. There is debate as to seriousness of the animosity between Salisbury and Clayton.
Seattle, Clayton moved his show to the new ESPN station.
from the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2007. This distinction puts him in the "writer's wing" of the Hall of Fame.
He was also inducted into the sports hall of fame of his alma mater, Duquesne University, in 2001.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) writer and reporter for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. He is also a senior writer for ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
.
Early career
Clayton began covering sports while still a student at Churchill Area High School. Starting with the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
' training camp, he covered the team in twice-weekly dispatches in the St. Marys, Pennsylvania
St. Marys, Pennsylvania
St. Marys is a city in Elk County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,502 at the 2000 census. Originally a small, Bavarian Catholic town, St. Marys was founded December 8, 1842. It is home to Straub Brewery and the first Benedictine convent in the United States. In 1992, the...
Daily Press.
Clayton went on to attend Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
. Upon graduating in 1976, he began writing for the Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh Press
The Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
.
In May 1978, Clayton was sent to cover a Steelers mini-camp in place of the Press' regular Steelers beat writer, Glenn Sheeley. While there he discovered and reported a rules violation which would cost the team a draft pick
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. The affair was dubbed "Shouldergate" by Clayton. Clayton became persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
for some time in his hometown for his role in the affair.
Clayton eventually 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
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
for the Tacoma News Tribune
Tacoma News Tribune
The News Tribune is a daily newspaper in Tacoma, Washington, in the United States.-History:It can trace its origins back to the founding of the weekly Tacoma Ledger by R.F. Radabaugh in 1880. The next year, H.C. Patrick founded The News, another weekly. Both papers became dailies in 1883. In 1898,...
in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. It was at this time that he began appearing in NFL segments on Seattle sports radio station KJR (AM) on host Nancy Donnelan's program "The Fabulous Sports Babe
The Fabulous Sports Babe
Nanci Donnellan, best known by her title of "The Fabulous Sports Babe," is an American sports radio broadcaster, currently broadcasting on WHBO in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. She is best known nationally for being syndicated across the United States on both ESPN Radio and ESPN2, from 1994 until 2001...
". When Donnelan's show was picked up by ESPN for national syndication, Clayton came along as an NFL correspondent.
ESPN
In 1995, Clayton joined ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as a reporter and later added to his duties a weekly radio show during the NFL offseason. He hosted the show with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury
Sean Salisbury
Richard Sean Salisbury is an American football analyst, former NFL and CFL quarterback, and actor.-Early life:Salisbury attended Orange Glen High School in Escondido, California...
; the show included "Four Downs," a debate with Salisbury over current NFL issues. Their debates often became quite heated, with Salisbury referring to Clayton as the "Cryptkeeper" and "Mr. Peabody", mocking his geeky/decrepit appearance and voice, and Clayton responding by calling Salisbury "Mr. Backup" based on his limited playing time during his NFL career. There is debate as to seriousness of the animosity between Salisbury and Clayton.
Radio programs
Clayton remained a frequent contributor to KJR (AM), and hosted its "Sports Saturday" show on Saturday mornings. He is a regular caller to sports-talk radio stations around the country. Because of the transition to all-sports of KIRO (AM)KIRO (AM)
KIRO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington on the shores of Lake Union with 2 towers on Maury Island, broadcasting on 710 kHz in the AM radio spectrum...
Seattle, Clayton moved his show to the new ESPN station.
Awards and honors
Clayton received the Dick McCann Memorial AwardDick McCann Memorial Award
The Dick McCann Memorial Award is bestowed annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame "for long and distinguished reporting on professional football". The award was created in 1969 and is named for Dick McCann, who was the first director of the Hall of Fame...
from the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2007. This distinction puts him in the "writer's wing" of the Hall of Fame.
He was also inducted into the sports hall of fame of his alma mater, Duquesne University, in 2001.
External links
- John Clayton at IMDB.com