Former New York Giants linebacker, Brad Van Pelt, died on Tuesday, February 17 of an apparent heart attack.

Van Pelt was born April 5, 1951 in Owosso, Michigan. He was an all-state quarterback for Owosso High School and he was a three year starter for Duffy Daugherty at Michigan State; where he earned first-team All-American honors in both junior and senior seasons.

In 1972, he became the first defensive back ever to receive the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top collegiate player. Van Pelt was a second -round draft pick by the New York Giants in 1973. He spent 14 years in the NFL, 11 of them with the Giants.

As a member of the New York Giants, Van Pelt was a member of the “Crunch Bunch”, which consisted of linebackers Van Pelt, Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, and Brian Kelley. They were considered one of the best defensive combos in NFL history.

Van Pelt made the Pro Bowl 5 consecutive years, 1976-1980. He was also named player of the decade for the 1970s by the Giants. In 2001, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Carson, who remained close with Van Pelt, had this to say about his friend:

“Brad was a very good friend. Obviously he was a great teammate, but I consider him more of a very good friend and very much like a brother. Having played together for a number of years… but then the relationship after football and the things that we did as a group of linebackers after football, those things really bonded us together.”

No funeral arrangements have been made yet.