NFL Network's Patrick Claybon: MBHS Spartan On The West Coast

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL - It is the desire of so many young sports fans to one day be able to earn a living through professional sports. Whether as a player, as a coach, a broadcaster or official, working in and around sports seems like the dream job. Well, for Mountain Brook High School alumnus Patrick Claybon, that dream is a reality.

Claybon, a former track star at MBHS (two-time Alabama state high school decathlon champion), is entering his fifth year as an anchor for the NFL Network. Claybon has been a fixture on the network - based in Los Angeles - and has covered NFL stories ranging from the casual to the controversial, all while working a dream job. So one could say Claybon is "living the dream."

Claybon attended college at Troy University where he earned a degree in broadcast journalism. He got his first gig in 2007 as a news reporter for WTVY News 4 in Dothan, and a brief stint in news, he eventually became the sports director before leaving for the same position in Birmingham at CBS42. He joined the NFL Network in 2014. (For more stories on local personalities and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Patch caught up with Claybon for a short Q & A, where he discusses the Super Bowl, Nick Saban and taking a knee, among other things:

How different is covering sports on a national level compared to local coverage in Alabama?

It's really not that different at all - the structure of the event, player and coach availability, the game itself, post game, etc. So structurally it's similar. For me, my job title and responsibilities are different than what they were in Birmingham. I haven't operated a camera in years but the essence of the job is the same: provide perspective from the players and coaches that we have access to in order for the viewer to answer any questions that they might have.

Have you always wanted to do sports journalism? Or was there another aspect of the business you were also considering?

I've always wanted to be a journalist, to tell stories and connect people with ideas and sports are a great way to do that - in a world where score is kept and there are rules for winners and losers that everyone agrees on. Tough to do that in many of the other aspects of life.

Depending on who you listen to, NFL popularity is supposedly down. Do you think that's true, and if so, what can give it a shot in the arm?

Couple different fronts here, and as you said “Depending on who you listen to” which is key in this conversation. In 2016 Colin Kaepernick chose to protest systemic racial injustice during the national anthem, then many other players followed suit and the reactions were predictable

Many who either don’t care about a racially equitable criminal legal system - or feel that the overwhelming evidence that shows ours "isn’t one," is “fake news” or imaginary - want to re-frame the conversation into one of ratings or Nike stock or how the song and flag make them feel. Basically any other tangential subject that draws attention away from the central message that significant reforms are required to create a justice system that is truly “just.”

That being said, this most recent Thursday (Jets at Browns) had the best TNF ratings since 2015 and I think a solid number of Americans are still interested in football. Television ratings as a whole are down for any number of reasons: streaming, the fact that cable prices have risen at 4x the rate of inflation, the list goes on and on. The NFL is still far and away the number one product on television because Americans like football played at the highest level (and every other level).

So, if the reported 6-8 percent of fans decided they suddenly didn’t enjoy professional football any more due to players asking our government to stand for the things it purports to: 1. I’ve seen no quantifiable data that suggests that is the case, and, 2. It seems like a worthwhile trade off to provide the conversational space for a vital issue to millions of people.

Who do you think goes to the Super Bowl this year?

Its early! Jacksonville vs. Los Angeles at the moment but ask me again in two weeks and I might have two different options.

Does Nick Saban ever try the NFL again?

Nope, because Nick Saban doesn't need the NFL or want to coach in the NFL again. Nick Saban doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, he'll continue to coach at Alabama for as long as he wants with little regard for how he is received by those on the outside, including by someone like me who believes that he - in terms of recruiting, managing coaches and players and facilitating their success - is the greatest coach in CFB history.

Photo submitted by Patrick Claybon