John David Crow

John David Crow - Quick Facts

Profile Overview of John David Crow

John David Crow Sr. (July 8, 1935 – June 17, 2015) was an American professional football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1957 as a halfback playing for the Texas A&M Aggies. After college, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers from 1958 to 1968.

This profile of John David Crow covers Early Life and Family Background, Career and Rise to Fame, Professional Career and Athletic director.

After his playing career, Crow became an assistant football coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama, serving under coach Bear Bryant from 1969 to 1971 He moved to the NFL as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 1972, and then the San Diego Chargers in 1974. In December 1975, Crow was hired as head football coach and athletic director at Northeast Louisiana University—now the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He coached the football team for five seasons, from 1976 to 1980, compiling a record of 20–34–1. He remained as athletic director until 1981. Crow returned to his alma mater, Texas A&M, in 1983 as an assistant athletic director. He was promoted to athletic director in 1988 and served in that capacity until 1993.

Crow was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1976. A street on the campus of Texas A&M University adjacent to Kyle Field is named after him.

In 2009 Erle and Alice Nye commissioned a twice life size bronze statue of Crow, and donated the $250,000 monument to Texas A&M University, sculpted by Steven Whyte.

Early Life and Family Background of John David Crow

A native of Marion in Union Parish in North Louisiana, Crow was raised to the west in Springhill in northern Webster Parish near the Arkansas state line. He graduated in 1954 from Springhill High School.

Career and Rise to Fame of John David Crow

Under coach Bear Bryant at Texas A&M, Crow was not one of the "Junction Boys," since he was a freshman in 1954, Bryant's first season, and was thus ineligible to play on the varsity under NCAA rules at the time. In 1956, Crow was part of the first Aggie football team to beat the University of Texas at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.

In Crow's senior season in 1957, the Aggies opened with eight wins and were ranked first in the AP poll. The Aggies lost their last three games after uncertainty over whether head coach Bear Bryant would be leaving. Although injured early in the season, Crow could play in seven games in his senior season. He rushed for 562 yards on 129 carries, with six touchdowns. Crow also caught two passes and passed for five touchdowns. While playing on defense, he intercepted the ball five times. During the 1957 season, Bryant famously quipped, "If John David Crow doesn't win the Heisman Trophy, they ought to stop giving it."

Crow was named an All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy on December 3 over runner-up Iowa tackle Alex Karras, followed by Michigan State halfback Walt Kowalczyk. Crow claims not to have understood the importance of the award until sponsors flew his family and him to New York City for the presentation. He was the first Aggie to win the Heisman, and he was the only one of Bryant's players to win. Bryant then left for Alabama shortly after Crow received the Heisman.

Professional Career

In the 1958 NFL draft, Crow was the second overall pick, selected by the Chicago Cardinals. He played eleven seasons in the NFL and appeared in four Pro Bowls.

In his first season, he played in seven games and rushed 52 times for 221 yards while catching twenty passes for 362 yards; he scored five total touchdowns. He also returned six kicks for 145 yards. Crow's first touchdown occurred in his first game on September 28 when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. The following year, he would improve by playing in twelve games while recording 994 scrimmage yards (666 rushing, 328 receiving) with seven total touchdowns and a Pro Bowl selection.

Crow followed the team to St. Louis in 1960. That year, he had his first and only 1,000 yard rushing season with 1,071 yards on 183 carries; he led the league in yards per carry (5.9), yards from scrimmage (1,533), and fumbles (eleven). On December 18, 1960, he rushed for his only 200-yard game when he ran for 203 yards on 24 carries in a 38–7 victory over Pittsburgh. He was named to the Pro Bowl again while also receiving votes for MVP within UPI. But he could not maintain his highs in 1961. He played in eight games and rushed for just 192 yards with 306 receiving yards that year.

The next year, Crow saw action in 14 games and rushed for 751 yards on 192 carries while catching 23 passes for 246 yards; he scored a career high seventeen touchdowns while dubiously leading the league in fumbles (fourteen). Crow's best game came on December 12, 1962, when he recorded 21 carries for 95 yards with three touchdowns before adding another on his lone reception from sixteen yards out as the Cardinals won 45–35 over the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the only time he had four touchdowns in a game and the only time he rushed for three touchdowns. Crow would be hindered by injuries in 1963, playing just three games (week 5–7), although he did record one touchdown on a ten-yard pass that helped in a 24–23 victory over Pittsburgh.

He played in thirteen games the following year, rushing for 554 yards on 163 carries while catching 23 passes for 257 yards. It would be his final season with the Cardinals.

Crow was traded to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 1965 season for veteran defensive back Abe Woodson, he played fourteen games and rushed for 514 yards with 132 carries while catching 28 passes for 493 yards; he made his fourth and final Pro Bowl while receiving votes for Comeback Player of the Year. He rushed for over 475 yards with receiving yards of over 300 in each of the next two seasons while playing in all fourteen games. Crow finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers. Crow received the annual Len Eshmont Award twice, in 1966 and 1967, voted by the players and given to the 49er who best exemplifies the "inspirational and courageous play" of Len Eshmont. In his final season in 1968, he primarily played tight end, and he caught 31 passes for 531 yards with five touchdowns.

In total, Crow scored 74 touchdowns over his career (38 rushing, 35 receiving, one fumble recovery) while also throwing five touchdown passes. His 74 touchdowns were 13th best all-time in football history upon his retirement. In 125 games, he rushed for 4,963 yards on 1,157 carries while catching 258 passes for 3,699 yards.

Source: adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_David_Crow), text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.