LITTLE IN HOSPICE
Hall of Famer battling cancer
Former Broncos running back Floyd Little has entered hospice care, his close friend and former Syracuse teammate, Pat Killorin, announced Saturday night on Facebook.
The 78- year- old Little, a member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame who has his jersey No. 44 retired by Syracuse and the Broncos, has been undergoing cancer treatments since this spring. Little resides in Las Vegas.
Killorin organized a GoFundMe page for Little earlier this year to help with medical expenses and a total of more than $ 100,000 was donated.
“Floyd’s courageous battle with a difficult disease ( cancer) is now at a critical stage in his life,” Killorin wrote. “This is a time when a husband and wife must make important decisions regarding potential end- of- life decisions.”
Moments after the Broncos beat Miami 20- 13 on Sunday, coach Vic Fangio said the team will be sending a game ball to Little.
“We talked about him ( in the locker room), one of the all- time greats in Broncos history, old No. 44,” Fangio said. “I remember him as a kid growing up ( in Pennsylvania) — I was an Eagles fan growing up, but from afar, I was a Floyd Little fan, too.”
Playing on struggling teams and with mix- andmatch quarterbacks, Little was long the Broncos’ shining light. He was the NFL rushing champion in 1971 ( 1,133 yards) and currently ranks second in team history in rushing attempts ( 1,641), yards ( 6,323) and touchdowns ( 43), behind fellow Hall of Famer Terrell Davis in all three categories.
Little never appeared in a playoff game and was a part of only two winning teams ( 7- 5- 2 in ’ 73 and 7- 6- 1 in ’ 74), but his contributions to making pro football in this region popular should not be forgotten.
Little led the Broncos in rushing seven times. He was a part of the team’s inaugural Ring of Fame in 1984. The season- ticket base rose from 24,650 to 49,000 during his career. His No. 44 is one of only three Broncos retired numbers, joining quarterbacks Frank Tripucka ( 18) and John Elway ( 7).