RIP: John Clayton, longtime NFL reporter and radio host, dies at 67.

“John was a pioneer as an NFL insider but also one of the kindest men you could ever work with,” said Seth Markman, vice president and executive producer at ESPN. “He literally never said no to a show that asked him to come on — from 6 a.m. to midnight, if you asked for the Professor, he was there for you. I’ll also personally remember how he loved and cared for his beloved wife Pat as she has battled multiple sclerosis. We will all miss John greatly.”

Clayton received the profession’s highest honor, now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, in 2007. The award is presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America in recognition of “long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football.”

“It’s the highest honor any writer covering this sport can receive,” Clayton said at the time.

“The PFWA mourns the passing of John Clayton. John was the PFWA’s 19th president (1999-2000) and the organization’s 2007 Bill Nunn Jr. Award recipient,” the organization said in a statement. “‘The Professor’ was a friend to so many in our business. Our condolences to his wife Pat, family, colleagues and his many friends.”

Clayton was also a longtime member of the Board of Selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

ESPN hired Clayton in 1995 as a jack-of-all-trades for its NFL coverage. SportsCenter producers created a weekly segment called “Four Downs” pitting Clayton against NFL analyst and former quarterback Sean Salisbury. It became must-see TV.

As did his appearance on “This is SportsCenter” commercials for ESPN, which to this day are among the best of the popular segments. Clayton’s appearance included a spot where he appeared as he would on SportsCenter, in a coat and tie, before he tore both off to reveal a Slayer T-shirt, let down his long hair, jumped on a bed and shouted, “Hey ma, I’m done with my segment.”

It’s a brilliant ad, back when ESPN was still fun and watchable:

Clayton’s explanation of how the ad was shot: