Report: ESPN cuts ties with analyst Ryan Clark, former LSU and Steelers standout

Former LSU Tigers and Pittsburgh Steelers star Ryan Clark is out at ESPN, according to a report from The Athletic. The prominent analyst has been a lightning rod at times but has worked at ESPN for a decade. The Athletic’s report, issued by Andrew Marchand, cited issues executives at the network had with how Clark worded certain things. It also noted that the cutting of ties is “the first part” of ESPN layoffs expected to take place this week. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] Ryan Clark was a regular on several ESPN programs, including NFL Live, First Take, Get Up and SportsCenter. He joined the network after retiring from the NFL following a 13-year career that included a Super Bowl title. Clark was a 2011 Pro Bowl selection and played in 177 career NFL games. He recorded 16 interceptions as a pro and racked up 100 or more tackles in each of his last four seasons in the league. Prior to his time in the NFL, Ryan Clark was a standout at LSU. He started 36 straight games for the Tigers and was an All-SEC selection in 2000. He graduated with a degree in mass communications, a degree he would later put to use in his work at ESPN. Ryan Clark issues apologies Clark’s time at ESPN wasn’t always without incident. In fact, he was forced to issue apologies over a handful of different matters in the last two years. First, he got into a spat with media personality Robert Griffin III over a situation involving WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Griffin took a stance that Reese hated Clark as part of their on-court rivalry. Clark called out Griffin and noted that because his wife, Grete Griffin, was white, he simply could not understand the issue he was discussing. Clark later apologized, noting he could have made the point he was striving for in a different manner. Later, Ryan Clark ran into trouble when discussing the late LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy. On an episode of SportsCenter, Clark declared Lacy’s innocence in a tragic car accident that claimed the life of a 78-year-old man. Louisiana State Police later released new video evidence that countered claims of Lacy’s innocence. Clark issued a public apology to both the Lacy family and the Louisiana State Police. Clark also publicly called out ESPN colleague Peter Schrager in September after Schrager was critical of Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. After noting “that’s the non-player in you” to Schrager, Clark then got short and cut off Schrager’s plea for more civility and respect. Clark later said he had “regret” over the incident.