Seattle, a metropolis built upon the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its rugged beauty surrounded by mountains, water, and evergreen forests. A landscape spanning acres of park land, where a Space Needle scrapes the skyline of the Emerald City. Home to Hendrix, Starbucks and grunge. It’s where Microsoft was born, Amazon made its home, and ESPN’s John Clayton once ruled the radio airwaves.
When you ask sports fans about the first thing that comes to mind about Seattle, the names that first surface may be Griffey, Russ, or “The Glove.” Seattle legends have come and gone, forever remembered by the legacies they built. Just three years ago, the sports world lost the legendary John Clayton, who called Seattle home.
Known to sports fans worldwide as “The Professor,” the impact of Clayton’s national appeal and prestige brought an amount of respect to the Seattle sports market that has lasted years after his passing.
“There was a sense of pride having John Clayton in Seattle,” said Bob Stelton, co-host of Wyman and Bob on Seattle Sports 710. “I think Seattle fans felt like ‘hey, we got the guy.’ You want NFL information, that guy lives in Seattle.”
While millions know “The Professor” John Clayton from his ESPN television work, many are not aware of Clayton’s three decades of work on Seattle sports radio stations.
John Clayton: Seattle Sports Radio Beginnings
Clayton began his career on Seattle sports radio hosting weekend’s at KJR 950AM in 1990, where Stelton’s first interactions with “The Professor” would occur. Stelton’s first opportunity to host programs on KJR came as the follow up to Clayton’s weekly Saturday morning program.
“For me, back then, that was a huge deal,” recalled Stelton. “John was kind of larger than life, and he was the man as far as NFL news went. So, to be talking, seeing, and interacting with him on a personal level, plus him knowing who I was, it was a big deal.”
Clayton, a native of Braddock, Pennsylvania, began his writing career in 1972 as a teenager covering the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then attended Dequenne University and was hired by The Pittsburgh Press while still a senior at the university. Clayton moved to Seattle in 1986 and took a job with The News Tribune, where he met his wife Pat, who covered bowling for the paper.
An unassuming giant of a man began to lay the groundwork for what became a most storied legacy of coverage surrounding the NFL, based in the most unassuming locale possible. The characteristics of Clayton that drove him to the heights he eventually achieved was his undeniable work ethic, and drive born from the “Steel City” then molded into the fabric of Seattle.
Former Seattle Times’ writer Larry Stone once wrote about his first interaction with Clayton when he arrived at the paper in 1996.
“He invited me out to lunch one day during training camp at Northwest College in Kirkland, and over teriyaki and rice John politely let me know what I was in for, professionally. ‘If you work 10 hours, I’ll work 12,’ he said. ‘And if you work 12, I’ll work 14. If you work 14, I’ll work 16.’”
Stone’s tale of Clayton’s desire to be the best has stood through the test of time as his signature characteristic. Dave “Softy” Mahler, a Seattle sports radio mainstay on KJR since 1994, noted that Clayton’s work ethic was always on display.
“John was kind of a unicorn in some ways, he just lived in breathed the NFL 24/7/365,” said Mahler. “He never disconnected with the NFL. He was in love with the National Football League, and it was his entire life along with his wife Pat. It was one hundred percent of what his DNA was all about.”
Clayton would find balance with his passion for football telling stories through print and through his weekly radio shows. He found the radio medium to be a vessel of connection, sharing a joint passion for the sports that he loved, in a city that became his home.
“He was absolutely in love with the city,” said Jessamyn McIntyre, who worked with Clayton in his later years at Seattle Sports 710. “He dedicated segments to listeners, and it was very unique. I thought it was very kind to the listener who gets their own time on the air. That’s how much he cared about the people that loved Seattle sports.”
John Clayton: From Seattle To ESPN
In 1995 Clayton joined ESPN as a reporter, and his role expanded shortly thereafter hosting a weekly radio show with co-host and former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury called Four Downs. His work with the network would eventually lead to Clayton leaving the News Tribune, but not the listeners on Seattle radio.
Clayton continued to build his skill set as “The Professor” with his on-air work in the pacific northwest, as his prestige around the country grew with ESPN. However, his newfound fame didn’t change the person Clayton was, as he remained as humble and respectful as ever before.
“I think people just valued his insight so much they knew that he wasn’t a hot take guy,” explained Maura Dooley, who served as Clayton’s producer at Seattle Sports 710. “He was going to give them everything straight, because he had good sources. “I think also just having someone that everyone knew from ESPN, that was a big deal in town. It felt special.”
“He was kind of a celebrity for sports fans,” said Bob Stelton. “I think it was a strong sense of pride that they had at that time was considered the voice or face of breaking NFL news based out of Seattle. That that was a big deal to a lot of people.”
Clayton brought a newfound validity to the Seattle sports ecosystem. A very recognizable face with a wealth of knowledge and respect, bringing a sense of pride to an often forgotten market.
“I think he gave Seattle legitimacy,” said Mahler. “He was the first real kind of big-time media personality from a national perspective that came out of the Pacific Northwest. I know he’s from Pennsylvania originally, but people like me that grew up with John writing for the Tribune and doing Saturday shows on KJR. He was as blue blooded to 206 or 253 or 425 guys you can imagine.”
In 2007, Clayton received the Dick McCann Memorial Award from the Pro Football Writers of America and was inducted into the writers’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The highest honor for anyone who covers the National Football League.
In 2009, Clayton’s radio tenure at KJR would come to an end as 710 ESPN Seattle would launch as a competitor to the iHeartMedia branded station. Since Clayton was an ESPN mainstay, instead of opting to leave radio altogether he decided to keep the connection with the Seattle audience. He brought instant credibility to a station just in its early beginnings without losing the sense of professionalism and excitement for his passion for radio.
“John had a passion for sports,” said Dooley. “Just the amount of years that he did it and never lost that. He just woke up excited to talk about it every day.”
Clayton’s efforts would eventually lead him to hosting a two-hour weekday program in 2016, where “The Professor” held court dominating the daypart while connecting listeners with exclusive interviews with the biggest names in Seattle Sports.
“His love of just talking about football. His love of the game gathering and sharing information with people. I learned that work ethic,” Stelton noted. “I don’t ever recall hearing him saying ‘Geez, I got to do this or that.’ He anticipated every aspect of it and that taught me that I better love this if I want to succeed and have a career in it. He was a massive influence in that way just watching how much he put into it.”
John Clayton: Exit From ESPN, Staying Loyal To Seattle
John Clayton was not immune however to the business of sports media. In 2017, Clayton was one of a number of high-profile ESPN talent that were victims of cuts by the company.
“John was such a perfectionist about his job and what he did when ESPN severed with him,” said McIntyre. “That hit him pretty hard. He needed to know that he was still important, which he was.”
After 23 years with ESPN and refusing to retire, Clayton chose to continue working for the ESPN radio affiliate in Seattle. Once again showing business would never overtake his passion for that connection with the Seattle sports fan.
“He took pride in what he did,” said Stelton. “He was just a really loyal guy.”
Following his dismissal from ESPN, Clayton would work for Seattle Sports 710 till the time of his passing. He also extended his work as a fill in work with SiriusXM and Denver Sports 104.3FM during that time. Clayton’s final show for Seattle fittingly fell on the same day quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, which encapsulated what made Clayton so special to Seattle.
Was there ever a better time for “The Professor” to be present than explaining a franchise-defining transaction to a Seattle fanbase?
“He just was such a trusted voice,” stated Dooley. “We still get text messages to this day, especially with everything going on with DK Metcalf and Geno Smith being traded. We’ll get text messages on days like this from listeners that say ‘I really miss the professor.’”
Remembering “The Professor” Three Years Later
John Clayton lived the way he wanted to be remembered, as “The Professor.” While his lecture hall grew to a massive scale thanks to ESPN, he always kept his heart for the sports community of Seattle. Millions grew to know his face from television and an unforgettable This Is SportsCenter commercial, but the place Clayton called home fueled his passion to share stories of America’s game at every moment possible.
Three years after his passing, his voice, his passion, and his presence are still felt across the Emerald City. A hidden gem leaving a lasting impression for generations.
“He’ll be a role model for all of us both in our professional lives and in private forever,” Mahler wrote days following Clayton’s passing. “He’ll be missed every day.”
If legends come and go, forever remembered by the legacies they built. There is no better education about dedication, loyalty, and love for life to be learned, than the one showcased and taught by “The Professor” John Clayton.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
