ESPN Of the NFL. A member of the coverage team, Vaughn MCklur, who has been at his home near Atlanta since 2013, died this week. He was 48 years old.
McClure joined ESPN to cover the NSFL, and it settled on the Atlanta Falcons beat as part of the NFL Nation. He covered the team during the 2017 Super Bowl LI race. He also contributed to television and radio coverage for the Falcons and the NFL’s ESPN.
“We all loved Vaughan,” said John Pluim, senior deputy editor for digital NFL coverage at ESPN. “He had a heart of gold. He was very helpful to our reporters. In the last few hours, we’ve heard a lot of stories about how VV helped his story or how he put a good word for him. Coach or player.”
Pluim added: “Talking to Vaughn on the phone has always been a pleasure. I loved how you can feel the excitement in his voice for being able to cover the Falcons for ESPN. We will all miss him so much. And I will end this. The way One ends up ending every phone call with a colleague: ‘Thank you. Love you.’ We all loved it too. “
Tributes to Klur spread quickly after news of his death spread on social media, with Hall of Famer Brian Cherlacher mourning. He wrote, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of my dear friend Von McClure today.” “We became quick friends when he was covering the bear. He had a big heart and was the best person you’ll ever meet. You’ll miss him.”
The Atlanta Falcons, in a statement, said: “We are saddened to learn of the passing of ESPN’s Van Mc McClure. He was a noble, thoughtful journalist who had a passion for his art and his relationships. We hold his family, friends and colleagues in thought and prayer. “
McClure came to ESPN after covering the Bears for six seasons for the Chicago Tribune.
“People will probably remember how Vaughan was able to connect with many of the covered athletes and develop trusting relationships, or how hard he had time, or how many times he volunteered to help a teammate in another sport,” Patricia May said. , Senior director of content strategy and distribution at ESPN, who brought McClure into the company. “But, what I respect the most is how committed he was to constantly improving. One of the last emails I received from him was asking for feedback. He wrote: ‘With you after the season on how I can better reach you. Would love to talk. Lots of things. I want to be great at this job. ‘
Among his other assignments when he was in the Tribune, Bulls was covered in the postseason. Previously, he covered Notre Dame football for the Chicago Sun-Times and Fresno State Basketball for Fresno B. He also worked for the South Band Tribune and the DeCallab Daily Chronicle.
McClure, who graduated from the University of Northern Illinois in 1994, was a native of Chicago.
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