THE NFL Honors gives members of the sporting world a chance to remember those they have lost over the last twelve months.
Among those named on Thursday night, was legendary ESPN reporter, John Clayton, who passed away aged 67 back on 18 March 2022 after suffering from a brief illness.
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His mention at the ceremony came as a shock to some fans who didn’t realize that he had passed away, such as one who tweeted: “D**n I didn’t even know John Clayton passed away.”
While another said: “I don’t know John Clayton died!”
This reminder of his sad passing did, however, help one of his most memorable on-screen moments resurface on social media.
Namely, a commercial he had starred in for SportsCenter.
In the clip, Clayton is praised as “the consummate pro” by anchor Neil Everett.
However, shortly after, following the ending of an interview, Clayton stands up, and rips off his suit top, unveiling a sleeveless Slayer shirt.
He then unfurls his ponytail as the camera pans around to him walking around a stereotypical teenage boy’s bedroom.
Clayton then begins to blast his music, before springing onto his bed, grabbing a box of takeout, as he then shouts “Hey mom! I’m done with my segment.”
The words “This is SportsCenter” then appeared on the screen.
A Pennsylvania native, Clayton worked as a sports journalist for over four decades after graduating from Duquesne University.
He worked for ESPN from 1995 until he was let go in 2017, following which he continued to work for various radio stations such as 104.3 The Fan in Denver and The Mightier 1090AM in San Diego.
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