Cowboys legend Robert Newhouse died on Tuesday after a long battle with heart disease. He was 64.

Robert Newhouse Dies

Newhouse passed away at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. – where he’d been staying for the last few months – surrounded by his immediate family, reported the Dallas Morning News. His health had started to deteriorate in 2010 when he suffered a stroke.

Until the very last, Newhouse was fighting, according to his son Roddrick Newhouse. “The mental picture everyone had of Robert Newhouse of going for that last yard was absolutely everything he did. He fought until the very end,” said Roddrick. “He would not quit.”

Newhouse, who was born in Longview,Texas, played college football at Houston. Following his stellar collegiate career, Newhouse was picked up in the second round of the 1972 draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Under Tom Landry, Newhouse played 12 seasons – three of which ended at the Super Bowl, including the Cowboys Super Bowl XII win against the Denver Broncos.

During his time with the Cowboys, Newhouse primarily served as the blocking fullback for Tony Dorsett. He led the Cowboys in rushing yards in 1975 with 930 yards and ended his career with 31 touchdowns, and 4,784 yards rushed.

“He was like a bowling ball out there,” Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach said upon learning of Newhouse's death. “Robert was just a team player. Everybody liked him. I don’t know anybody who didn’t think the world of Robert Newhouse. Robert was a tough guy, a great guy. It’s a real shame. He’s been fighting the fight, and it’s been a tough deal for him.”

Newhouse is survived by his wife Nancy; twin daughters Dawnyel and Shawntel; and sons Roddrick and Reggie.

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