ESPN has shared that Vaughn McClure, NFL Nation reporter for the Atlanta Falcons, has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 48 at his home in Atlanta, Georgia.
Growing up in Chicago, Vaughn McClure went to Northern Illinois University for journalism. He joined ESPN in 2013 after covering the Chicago Bears for the Chicago Tribune and was a founding member of the NFL Nation team on ESPN. His coverage of eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons included their 2017 Super Bowl LI run. Vaughn also wrote for ESPN.com and appeared on air on programs like SportsCenter, NFL Live, and ESPN Radio.
Our hearts go out to Vaughn McClure’s family, friends and fans during this difficult time.
What They’re Saying:
- John Pluym, ESPN senior deputy editor: “We all loved Vaughn. He had a heart of gold. He was so helpful to our reporters. In the last few hours, we’ve heard so many stories about how Vaughn had helped them with a story or how he put in a good word for them with a coach or player. When he was in Bristol for our summits, you always knew you could count on a big hug from Vaughn. And talking to Vaughn on the phone was always a joy. I loved how you could just sense the excitement in his voice for being able to cover the Falcons for ESPN. We will all miss him greatly. And I’ll end this the way Vaughn ended every phone call with a colleague: ‘Appreciate you. Love you.’ We all loved him, too.”
- Patricia Mays, ESPN senior director of content strategy and distribution: “People will probably remember how Vaughn was able to connect and develop trusting relationships with many of the athletes he covered, or how diligent he was about deadlines, or the countless times he volunteered to help out a colleague on another sport. But what I respected most was how committed he was to continually improving. One of the last emails I received from him was asking for feedback. He wrote: ‘Would love to talk to you after the season about how I can get better at a lot of things. I want to be great at this job.’”
