John Clayton, one of the most prominent national NFL reporters who worked at ESPN for over 20 years, died on Friday. He was 67.

“His wife Pat and sister Amy were at his side and communicated earlier he passed peacefully after a brief illness,” his longtime ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen tweeted. “We loved John. We are mourning his loss. Pat has asked the Seahawks to release further information.”

Clayton began his career at the Pittsburgh Press covering the Steelers, before moving to Seattle to cover the Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune in the mid 1980’s. He reached ESPN in 1995, and covered football in print, TV and radio until 2017.

“I am heartbroken,” NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury said. “John was family to me. We have been friends since 1986. He has been a weekly guest on my radio show for years. We have remained close since our Television days. We talked regularly.

“I’ve often said John would be the guy who would stop everything he was doing to make sure anyone would have everything they needed. He was a phenomenal television friend and a loyal life friend to me. A special man. I will miss him deeply. Our friendship was special.”

Some of Clayton’s most memorable segments on ESPN television were his regular debates with former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury. They had entertaining chemistry in the nerd vs. jock genre.

Clayton also appeared in what is arguably the greatest “This is SportsCenter” commercial of all-time, transitioning from standard football reporter to long-haired metalhead in an instant as his consummate professionalism was praised.

Clayton continued to cover the Seahawks for ESPN Radio’s Seattle affiliate after departing the Mothership. He was publishing stories as recently as last week.