The Aggies family lost one of its finest member on Wednesday night when John David Crow passed away at age 79.

Crow, a Springhill, La. native, was Texas A&M’s first Heisman Trophy winner. He took the award home in 1957, as the Aggies went 8-3 and Crow rushed for 562 yards and six touchdowns. He was then-Aggies head coach Bear Bryant’s only Heisman winner over the course of his illustrious career, which included six national championships at Alabama.

After his career at Texas A&M, Crow went on to a solid NFL career after he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1958 NFL draft. He played in the pros for 11 years, making four Pro Bowls.

Following his playing career, Crow got into the administrative side. He served as Texas A&M’s athletic director from 1988 until his retirement in 2001. He continued to reside in College Station following his retirement. He developed a relationship with Texas A&M’s only other Heisman winner, Johnny Manziel, while Manziel was in school.