Former Broncos great Little dies at 78
Floyd Little, the Hall of Fame running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, has died. He was 78.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame said he died Friday night. No cause was given.
Little was a three-time All-American at Syracuse, where he wore No. 44 like Jim Brown and Ernie Davis before him. From 1964-66, he ran for 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns.
A native of New Haven, Connecticut, he was the sixth pick in the 1967 AFL-NFL draft. He played nine seasons in Denver, where he earned the nickname “The Franchise” because his signing was credited with keeping the team from relocating and helped persuade voters to approve funds for the old, iconic Mile High Stadium, which has since been replaced by Empower Field at Mile High.
Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Little led the
NFL in rushing in 1971 with 1,133 yards and in touchdown runs in 1973 with 12. He also was one of the league’s best kick returners, leading the AFL in punt returns as a rookie in 1967.
During his nine-year pro career, Little rushed for 6,323 yards and 43 touchdowns and caught 215 passes for 2,418 yards and nine TDs. He had the most allpurpose yards in pro football and ranked second only to O.J. Simpson in yards rushing over his career.
Kamara goes on COVID-19 list: The New Orleans Saints have placed running back Alvin Kamara, who leads the club in both yards rushing and receiving, on their COVID-19 reserve list.
The move means Kamara is unavailable for Sunday’s regular-season finale at Carolina and also could miss the Saints’ first playoff game if New Orleans is unable to move up to the NFC’s top seed.
Kamara has 932 yards and 16 TDs rushing to go with 756 yards and five TDs receiving this season. His touchdowns rushing and 21 total touchdowns from
Floyd Little, who had the most all-purpose yards during his nine years in the NFL, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
scrimmage are Saints single-season records.
The transaction also comes less than a week after Kamara ran for six touchdowns and and a career-high 155 yards in a victory over Minnesota, tying an NFL record for TDs rushing in a game set by Ernie Nevers in 1929.
Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers is the only other player to score six touchdowns in a game.
The NFL introduced a COVID-19 reserve list this season for players who either test positive for the coronavirus or are known to have been exposed to someone who has contracted the virus.
Stafford questionable: Matthew Stafford is questionable for Detroit’s season finale against Minnesota on Sunday.
Stafford has been dealing with ankle, thumb and rib injuries and didn’t play much in last weekend’s loss to Tampa Bay.
Interim coach Darrell Bevell said backup quarterback Chase Daniel would start if Stafford can’t play.
Filling in: Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson will fill in for wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This will be the second time Brownson has been called on by coach Kevin Stefanski.
Earlier this season, she became the first female in NFL history to handle ingame assistant coaching duties when she substituted for tight ends coach Drew Petzing. He didn’t travel with the Browns to Jacksonville as his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child.
AP