Ryan Clark unloads on ESPN in first interview since firing: 'Using layoffs as a cover'

Days following his exit from ESPN in a round of layoffs, Ryan Clark has spoken out about his time working for the company.

On Monday, the former NFL safety was announced as one of the more well-known names to be making an exit from ESPN. And the nature of his firing was also notable — Clark was reportedly told about his firing during a break on "NFL Live" and did not continue with the show.

Now, Clark has done his first interview since those events, tearing up while speaking about wanting to "be accepted" by the network.

Here's what Clark said about his ESPN exit.

MORE: Why ESPN chose to part ways with Ryan Clark

Ryan Clark tears up while talking about ESPN exit

Executives at ESPN had reportedly "soured on Clark" in recent months as a result of the way he conducted himself on air, and Clark wound up finding out about his firing while on a break of "NFL Live."

Clark appeared on his "The Pivot" podcast on Friday, his first public appearance since being let go by ESPN earlier in the week. He suggested the network used the company-wide layoffs as an opportunity to part ways, saying "I wasn’t laid off, I was fired."

“They’re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended on doing,” Clark said. “But there was no cause for it. So because there was no cause for it, you couldn’t just fire me, you had to wait ’til the layoffs so you could camouflage it and veil it.”

When Clark began to reflect on his time at ESPN, he also teared up.

“When I go home, and this kid from the West Bank is so accepted in New Orleans now, I wouldn’t change that, you know, never,” Clark said, wiping away tears. “All I ever wanted to do was be accepted. … so yeah, that, I wouldn’t change.”

In another part of the appearance, Clark said he "never shied away from any topic" on ESPN but thought he "couldn’t be too black" on the network.

MORE: Ryan Clark-Peter Schrager beef, explained 

How long was Ryan Clark at ESPN?

Clark joined ESPN in March 2015 as an NFL analyst, coming off his retirement from the league. Since then, he appeared on shows like "NFL Live," "Get Up," "SportsCenter" and "First Take" until his firing earlier this week.