ESPN is laying off Ryan Clark, a former NFL defensive back who had become one of the top young faces of the network.<\/p>\n
According to The Athletic<\/a> and OutKick<\/a>, Clark is out as part of wider layoffs being carried out this week by the Worldwide Leader.<\/p>\n Clark rose from a fan favorite with the telestrator on Scott Van Pelt\u2019s late-night SportsCenter to a full-time primary host on\u00a0NFL Live and a top contributor to\u00a0First Take and\u00a0Get Up. The rising star also was part of\u00a0Monday Night Countdown, the network\u2019s NFL studio show. Clark\u2019s departure would create a massive fissure in the network\u2019s NFL coverage.<\/p>\n According to Andrew Marchand at The Athletic, Clark found out he was being let go during Monday\u2019s\u00a0NFL Live and left before finishing the show. The rest of the ESPN staff involved in this round of cuts will be notified Tuesday.<\/p>\n Late-summer talent layoffs are typical at ESPN. Just two years ago<\/a>, Robert Griffin III was let go from\u00a0Monday Night Countdown in a move that opened the slot that Clark ultimately filled, along with Sam Ponder, Zach Lowe and others.<\/p>\n A report in June from Front Office Sports<\/a> signaled talent cuts were coming, in part as a result of the company\u2019s acquisition of NFL Network. Several NFL Network talent have recently been re-signed to deals with ESPN and Disney. The report<\/a> cited comments from new Disney CEO Josh D\u2019Amaro in a note to staff upon his promotion, in which D\u2019Amaro alluded to \u201celiminating roles.\u201d Earlier this year, ESPN reportedly cut around 30 behind-the-scenes staffers<\/a>.<\/p>\n During his time at ESPN, Clark not only flexed sharp football chops but also carved a lane in which he was frequently outspoken<\/a> on stories<\/a> outside the lines of the field. On his podcast, The Pivot, Clark often explores personal and societal issues<\/a> with his co-hosts and their guests.<\/p>\n Occasionally, this has led Clark astray. The LSU alum was forced to apologize<\/a> after misstating the details around the car accident that led to the death of LSU star Kyren Lacy. He also apologized<\/a> after pointedly calling out Peter Schrager on-air. He has also regularly feuded<\/a> with fellow commentators like Griffin over the years.<\/p>\n