John Clayton, longtime NFL journalist, has died at 67

Former NFL reporter and commentator John Clayton died Friday after a "brief illness." He was 67.

Clayton, known as "The Professor," spent 23 years working for The Pittsburgh Press and Tacoma News Tribune, where he was a beat reporter covering the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL, a statement from Seattle said. He moved on to become an NFL insider for ESPN in 1995. And recently he'd been on radio — hosting The John Clayton Weekends show in Seattle, and reporting from the sidelines for the Seattle Seahawks Radio Network.

He won the Dick McCann Award in 2007 for his "long and distinguished reporting on professional football," the Seahawks wrote.

"For five decades, he covered the league with endless energy and professionalism," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Saturday. "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."

In a statement late Friday, the Steelers called Clayton a "Pittsburgh media icon" who went on to "become one of the most respected national NFL reporters."

Clayton was also a longtime selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which tweeted, "His impact and contribution to the game of football will be missed."

According to ESPN, Clayton had been the one to break the news 10 days ago that longtime Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was leaving to join the Denver Broncos. In response to the news of Clayton's death, Wilson tweeted, "We will all miss your words and brilliance."

The ESPN network also tweeted its condolences to Clayton's family on Friday. "We all learned something from 'The Professor' over the years and we will miss him dearly."

• Pittsburgh Steelers
• National Football League
• ESPN
• Seattle Seahawks