John Clayton, Pittsburgh media icon, dies at 67

John Clayton, a Pittsburgh media icon and a native of Braddock, Pa., has died. He was 67.

Clayton grew up in Braddock, and covered the Steelers in high school. He graduated from Duquesne University.

Clayton went on to cover the Steelers full time, as a beat reporter for The Pittsburgh Press, before moving on to even more NFL coverage.

In 2007, he received what is now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, which is presented for long and distinguished reporting on football.

The Steelers released this statement after the news of his passing:

Clayton died peacefully, after a brief illness.

The president of Duquesne University, Ken Gormley, issued this statement on the loss of their accomplished alumni:

The entire Duquesne University community was saddened to learn of John Clayton’s sudden and unexpected passing.  John was a proud and loyal alum of Duquesne, graduating from the College of Arts in 1976. He was also a member of the Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame, and a regular visitor to campus whenever he was in Pittsburgh to cover NFL football games and other athletic events as part of his storied career at ESPN and other media outlets.

True to his nickname, “The Professor,” John was always eager to share his encyclopedic knowledge and professional expertise with Duquesne’s journalism students. He even served as a visiting lecturer in the McAnulty College of a Liberal Arts where he was a popular figure in the classroom.

We extend our deepest sympathies to John’s devoted wife, Pat, and to his family. He left a shining legacy as one of the finest sports journalists in the country, and as a treasured member of the Duquesne family.

Big names in sports from across the country took to social media to remember Clayton after his passing.

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