Do you think John Clayton (football expert for the sports media) ever played football........

SanctionII

......... or any other contact sport?

He does not look like a rough and tumble jock to me. More like a computer nerd with a pocket protector.

perkdog

I would say its possible, maybe his Freshman year or something? Either way I like him and he knows his Football!

Michigan

I like him too and had to check out his background and found:

John Clayton (born Johan Clayton) is a National Football League writer and reporter for ESPN. He is a senior writer for ESPN.com and often is recognized by fellow ESPN sportscasters as "The Professor."

Clayton began hosting a cable TV sports show in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, while still a student at Churchill Area High School in suburban Pittsburgh. His print journalism career started at a now-defunct Pittsburgh weekly, Steel City Sports, in 1973. In that same year he graduated from Duquesne University. John moved to a part-time job at the Pittsburgh Press in 1976 and was eventually promoted to full-time status. Clayton also served as a stringer for the AP radio network and several other audio sports services in the 1970s.

In 1978, Clayton began covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Pittsburgh Press. He left that job in the 1980s and began covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington. It was at this time that he began appearing in NFL segments on Seattle sports radio station KJR on host Nancy Donnelan's program "The Fabulous Sports Babe". When Donnelan's show was picked up by ESPN for national syndication Clayton came along as an expert NFL correspondent. In 1995, he joined ESPN as a reporter and recently added to his duties a weekly radio show during the NFL offseason. He hosts the show with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury; the show includes "Four Downs," a debate with Salisbury over current NFL issues. Their debates often become quite heated, with Salisbury referring to Clayton as the "Cryptkeeper" and "Mr. Peabody", mocking his geeky appearance and voice, and Clayton responding by calling Salisbury "Mr. Backup" based on his limited playing time during his NFL career. He is a regular contributor to KJR-AM Radio in Seattle, a sports talk radio station and is a regular call-in contributor to sports-talk radio stations all around the country.

In 2007, Clayton was awarded the Dick McCann Memorial Award, which is presented by the Pro Football Writers of America in recognition of long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football.

Mercury10c

I could see him as a punter in college or high school, but not in the NFL. No way.

Bosox1976

Varsity letter in pocket pool.

perkdog

You Go John!!!

markj111

mkg809

Anyone see the movie "Little Giants"?
He could be on that team.

RonBurgundy

No, and who cares. He was inducted into the writer's wing of the Hall of Fame last year, and spoke movingly about how his parents took him to Steelers games as a kid. From that point on, he was hooked on sports and football in particular.

It amazes me how some people feel the need to denigrate people who may not have athletic ability. Anytime anyone does this, I think they should look in the mirror and ask themselves if they have the body to secure a NFL contract. If not, STFU.




Ron