Saddened by the passing of Floyd Little

It was 1964,  four years after I first covered the storied Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, and my final year at chilly, upstate New York Syracuse University. Known as the Orangemen in those times, our main sports centered on football, basketball and lacrosse.

In track and field, we weren’t headliners, but we had Floyd Little and he was a sophomore warming up in the then-broad jump, so I flashed my media pass and headed toward the field event. Didn’t want to bother Little, so I just stood and watched him take his warm-up jumps .then his three actual jumps. He finished third, the lone Syracuse points scored in the three-day event.

That’s when I first met the 3-time former All-America football player, who followed up the Jim Brown and Ernie Davis era by also wearing number 44 for Syracuse. We spoke for awhile, he never excused himself, and I wrote my college story based on his entry from the football field to track and field. He handed me his contact number, shook my hand many times, and even gave me a hug. He then laughed and informed me that orange was, no doubt, his favorite color.

Those were the good times. the 5-foot-10, 196-pound Little was now in his next-to-last stop after first gaining All-America honors at Hill House High School in New Haven, Conn, then committing to Syracuse for three formable, elite years carrying the football, and then landing with the Denver Broncos as the sixth pick in the college draft and never left. He was often referred to as “the franchise,” and it was he who forced the struggling franchise to stay in Colorado instead of relocating to areas like Birmingham. Ala., or even Chicago.

On Friday, the sad news echoed through the land, one in which he was truly an All American when born on the Fourth of July in 1942. After a long battle with cancer, he passed away that morning at his home in Connecticut at the age of 78. He had been in the care of Hospice since November of last year.

I was totally saddened to hear this. I had kept in touch through the years, even in his ninth and final season setting records with the Broncos. He was the first and probably the best to suit up with Denver. It was he and his popularity and talent that had brought renovation of old, iconic Mile High Stadium, and which is now Empower Field on the same site.

The memories of his franchise-record total rushing and receiving yards added to most-ever touchdowns. In 1971, he had his finest campaign with 1,133 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran back kickoffs, and his versatility brought him All-Pro honors as well as respect around the league, and especially as a Bronco. When he resigned, he was credited with keeping the team from relocating, and helped persuade voters to approve funds for Mile High Stadium.

In 2009, he informed the media that it was obvious that the franchise was bent on moving back then, so he supposedly saved it, kept it from leaving the area he was happy with. Thus, “the franchise” tag. He went on to be a five-time pro bowler. In 1971, he led the league in rushing with 1,333,  and in 1973, in touchdown runs with an even dozen. He was also one of the league’s best kick returners, leading the team in punt returns as a rookie in 1967. He played in Denver from 1967-75, lean times in the former AFL’s franchise history/

When news of his passing on Jan. 1st was announced, it spread throughout the sports world.,

News from Syracuse followed. There, he was a legend as an athlete, a person, a class act, and just as strong off the gridiron with the things he had done in the community.

It was the way he had affected people and their lives. He was recognized as a person you couldn’t forget. His smile was contagious, his knowledge was power. The advice that he gave was just a godsend.

He was recruited by Brown and then he recruited the late Ernie Davis. He was fond of life there in the winter, even liked the snow. He often returned to the campus and considered it his other family. His smile, heart and character made him a Hall of Fame person, both in the collegiate ranks and in the pros. He wore both gold jackets with pride, and in Denver he still holds rushing records, touchdowns and total offensive yards.

With Syracuse, he came away with 2,704 yards and 46 touchdowns from 1964 to 1966. Now both his college and professional clubs will be wearing the number 44 patch on their helmets to honor him with remembrance.

His son, Marc, said he faced his cancer diagnoses with some grit and determination, and added that his dad felt, as the years flew by, that he would not be named to the pro Hall of Fame, that nowadays people wouldn’t remember him, but in 2010, he learned the good news, a member of the Hall of Fame. in 1983, he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

“He felt as if he had fallen through the cracks,” Marc said, “and his desire to make the Hall of Fame wasn’t going to happen, but when it did, he was just overwhelmed with joy.”

During his pro career, he rushed for 6,323 yards and 43 touchdowns, and caught 215 passes for 2,418 yards and nine TDs. He had the most all-purpose yards in the pros and ranked second to O.J. Simpson in yards rushing over his career.

He was a true hero of the game. He never hesitated to sign autographs or speak with fans. He always showed passion and courage and friendship. He devoted faith, family and football as pillows of his life. In 2011, Hill House High named its athletic center after him.

RIP, Floyd Douglas Little, you were a credit to the game. You were a credit off the field. Born on July 4th and passing away on New Years day. The All-American.