THE REAL DEAL
ESPN and sports world loses great one in McClure
The first time I spoke with Vaughn McClure, the ESPN NFL reporter who suddenly died at 48 last week, was through a simple direct message on Twitter during the 2017 season.
As someone who desperately wanted to break into sports writing, was a die-hard fan of the Atlanta Falcons and generally followed Black sportswriters, Vaughn was someone I immediately looked up to. It wasn’t just the fact that he looked like me and covered my favorite team. He also did an impeccable job. Vaughn’s Falcons reporting was so damn good that my fellow tortured fans and I started calling him “NostraVaughnus.” Basically, if Vaughn said the Falcons were going to draft Player X or sign Player Y, you could put your mortgage on it and be comfortable.
As I was really starting to find my voice in this field, Vaughn was one of the first people I reached out to. His first words to me always rang true every time I saw him or spoke to him after that.
“Appreciate you.” Appreciate … me? Me?
At the time, I was just a dude on Twitter who liked football way too much. What have I done for him to appreciate me? Then I learned: This is how Vaughn genuinely is with everyone he knows.
The first time I met Vaughn McClure in person was at the 2018 NFL Combine.
It was my first trip to Indianapolis and I was in awe of the amount of famous people I was around for the first time. Every reporter and tons of former players that I had watched on television growing up were inches away from me, but there was one person I couldn’t leave Indy without seeing. Vaughn McClure.
After Thomas Dimitroff had one of his press conferences in the podium room in the convention center, I stalked Vaughn out like I was a bird of prey. He was having a conversation with Dimitroff and I was destined to make sure I was next on his list. After Dimitroff walked away, I hustled toward Vaughn and put a face to whatever cartoon avi I had on Twitter back then.
This was the first time I really understood why people around the Falcons and Bears and other places that Vaughn has worked loved him so much. I introduced myself, he told me he was a big fan of my film breakdowns on Twitter and then he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close for some sage advice that can’t be repeated in this column.
After his pep talk, I got his classic farewell message: “Appreciate you, love you.”
And like that, he was off chasing down another NFL executive who was absolutely thrilled to see him, just like I was.
It was startling to hear a borderline stranger tell you they love you after a brief conversation in a room filled with hundreds of people, but Vaughn had a way of interacting with people that made every moment seem authentic, because it was. He was invested in the success of other people, a defining trait that won’t be forgotten by anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him.
The last time I saw Vaughn McClure was near the same spot I met him for the first time.
I was getting ready to leave the 2020 Combine when I caught up with Vaughn outside the High Velocity sports bar in Indianapolis. We sat on the benches outside and just talked. We promised to keep staying in touch, hugged and right before I left for the airport, I heard those words that would bring a smile to anyone’s face. “Appreciate you, love you.” Except this time was different. For the first time, I said, “I love you, too,” back to him, and I meant every word of it.
I loved Vaughn McClure. The last time I spoke to Vaughn McClure was about a week before his passing on October 15. It was a short, brief conversation, mainly about work, but the call still ended the same way. “Appreciate you, love you.” Vaughn, we appreciated you. Vaughn, we loved you. Everyone who interacted with you is better off for it and I know I am for damn sure.
Rest easy, my friend.