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Ryan Clark spent eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming one of ESPN’s most familiar NFL voices. His time at the network ended Monday with an awkward mid-show conversation.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, ESPN cut ties with Clark as the first move in broader layoffs expected Tuesday. Clark was informed during Monday’s episode of “NFL Live” and didn’t return to finish the program.
ESPN reportedly planned to tell him Tuesday morning, but media inquiries changed the timetable. Network officials were concerned that the news would leak before Clark heard it, creating the uncomfortable scene of an analyst learning his run was over while his show was underway.
For Steelers fans, Clark is more than a media personality. From 2006 through 2013, he started 109 games, recorded 448 solo tackles and 12 interceptions, and played in two Super Bowls. He won Super Bowl 43 alongside Troy Polamalu in one of the league’s more feared secondaries.
Clark joined ESPN after retiring and became one of the network’s most recognizable NFL personalities. The plan called for a Tuesday conversation. A few phone calls later, “NFL Live” became the meeting room, and Clark was gone before the final segment.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Ryan Clark’s ESPN run ended with an awkward mid-show exit
