Former Yankees scout, coach and instructor Howard "Hop" Cassady -- who also won the 1955 Heisman Trophy and the 1957 NFL championship as a football player -- died Friday at age 85.

Cassady began working for the Yankees in the 1970s under George Steinbrenner after his football career. He continued to work with the organization into the 2000s as a special instructor at Spring Training.

"Hop was a talented and beloved coach, scout and special instructor in the Yankees organization for many decades," Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement Friday. "More importantly, he was a treasured friend to­ my father, who entrusted Hop with bringing out the best in our young players, many of whom never even knew that he was a football legend.

"Always humble and with a kind word, Hop will be missed by my family and the entire Yankees organization. We send our deepest condolences to the Cassady family."

Before joining the Yankees organization, Cassady was a running back at Ohio State, where he won the Heisman, and professionally for the Lions, Browns and Eagles. He retired after eight seasons in the NFL, seven of them spent with Detroit. Cassady also played baseball at Ohio State.