SEATTLE — The world of sports journalism has lost one of its longtime greats. Hall Of Famer John Clayton has passed away.
John touched a lot of lives over the years, in and out of sports. I don't know anyone who worked harder than John and did so much for so many.
Whenever we needed information, and I'm talking about all of us in Seattle sports media and beyond, John would always find a way to make himself available.
It wasn't just about talking to him over the years, it was more about "listening" to him and the fantastic stories he told from his career.
A career that started 50 years ago in Pittsburgh and led him to the Tacoma News Tribune and eventually ESPN, where he spent over 20 years informing us of all things football.
John became a real personality during those ESPN years. A celebrity - and we could tell he loved every minute of it. He was that very recognizable figure on the NFL sidelines. Standing next to him, I would just chuckle at fans yelling his name, trying to get his attention.
As an analyst, we could ask John anything and he would always have an answer. That's one of the main reasons he earned the nickname, The Professor. As ESPN's Chris Mortensen said, "Anyone paying attention, walked away a little more educated."
It showed his true passion for football. We used to ask him, "How long do you want to keep doing this? Don't you just want to relax and enjoy watching the games instead of reporting on them?"
He would pause with this bewildered look on his face as if to wonder, "Why would I stop doing what I love to do?"
So, what was his end game?
He once told the Pittsburgh Gazette:
"Until they plant me, I guess. I love this stuff. What I love about it is there's so much more stuff we didn't have access to years ago and now we do. There's so much information and analytical stuff, it's phenomenal."
John was a Hall Of Fame journalist, but more importantly a first-class gentleman and he will be sorely missed.