Floyd Little, Syracuse and Broncos great, dies at 78
Floyd Little, the versatile running back who starred at Syracuse and for the Denver Broncos, has died after a long bout with cancer. He was 78.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame said he died Friday night at his home in Nevada.
“Floyd Little was not only a Hall of Fame running back, he was a Hall of Fame person,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Faith, family and football were the pillars of his life.”
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.
Little was the sixth overall pick in the 1967 AFLNFL 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team from relocating and helped persuade voters to approve funds for the old, iconic Mile High Stadium, which has since been replaced by Empower Field at Mile High.
“I know when I got there the talk was about the team moving to Chicago or Birmingham,” Little told The Associated Press in an interview in 2009. “So, I supposedly saved the franchise.”
Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
“Floyd Little was a true hero of the game,” said David Baker, president and
CEO of the pro hall. “He was a man of great integrity, passion and courage. His contributions off the field were even greater than his amazing accomplishments he did on it. Floyd’s smile, heart and character epitomized what it meant to have a Hall of Fame life.”
A high school star in Connecticut at New Haven’s Hillhouse High, Little overlapped at Syracuse with U. S. President- elect Joe Biden, who said in a statement Saturday the pair had become friends and often spoke by phone after Orange football games.
“He was full of character, decency, and integrity,” Biden said. “He was always gracious with his time with fans — parents and grandparents who wanted to introduce their children and grandchildren to a genuine
role model.”
Floyd’s greatness transcended the football field, said former Broncos teammate Randy Gradishar.
“He was the strength and the roots of the Denver Broncos,” said Gradishar, a linebacker on the “Orange Crush” defense whose career overlapped with Little’s for two years. “He certainly wasn’t the biggest, fastest or strongest guy that ever played NFL football, but he accomplished great things through his attitude. A really great football player but more than that, a great man.”
Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis called Floyd “one of the greatest Broncos of all-time and an unforgettable part of our history.”
“He rightfully earned the nickname ‘ The Franchise’ for his profound impact
on this organization, helping to put the Broncos on the pro football map in the early days. As the first Pro Football Hall of Famer to star for the Broncos, Floyd brought credibility to this team while becoming one of the most dominant players of his era,” Ellis said. “Seeing him finally receive that gold jacket was the culmination of a tremendous lifetime in football.
“Even after his retirement, Floyd was a wonderful ambassador for the game and the Denver Broncos, carrying himself with warmth, kindness and class-always with humility and a smile,” Ellis added. “In recent months, he faced his cancer diagnosis with the same grit and determination that defined his incredible playing career.”