Texas A&M Aggies everywhere woke up to the sad news of Texas A&M icon John David Crow passing away Wednesday, June 18, night at the age of 79. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones at the time of his death at his home in College Station, TX.

John Crow grew up in Springhill, La. won the Heisman in 1957 after his A&M coach at the time, the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant, infamously said, "They ought to do away with the thing" if Heisman electors didn't vote the young man he'd dubbed "Ol' Crow" as the winner.

Crow was known to be a powerful and explosive running back in his playing days and was Texas A&M's lone Heisman winner until quarterback Johnny Manziel won the 2012 Heisman, and the two developed a unique friendship.

Johnny Manziel tweeted out "Aggieland lost a hero today with the passing of John David Crow." John Crow served as a mentor for Manziel during his time at A&M, especially during his Heisman campaign winning season.

Current A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin also posted via Twitter, “A friend of the program and (an) Aggie forever. You will be missed.”

A statue of Crow stands outside of Kyle Field as a remembrance and tribute to the school's first iconic Heisman trophy winner.

Crow not only played running back for the Aggies but he played defensive back as well. He rushed for 562 yards as a senior to go with five interceptions. John Crow went on to become a first-round NFL draft pick by the then Chicago Cardinals in 1958, and would go to be a four-time Pro Bowler at the game's highest level.

He also served as A&M's athletic director from 1989-93 and as A&M's associate athletic director from 1983-89. "Coming back to A&M and eventually serving as athletic director – that's the ultimate for any athlete who played at a college," Crow once said. "Hopefully, I'll always be a part of Texas A&M. I've been fortunate to have never really had to divorce myself from football."

Anybody who met John Crow knows that he was very friendly and always kind to those that came across his path. He was often seen at football games and was never shy about interacting with students and alumni.

Texas A&M lost one of the greats but his place at Kyle Field will be there forever.

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About the author
Bryan Castillo
Mechanical Engineer graduate from Texas A&M University class of 2012. Favorite teams are the Dallas Mavericks, Cowboys, & Texas Rangers.