ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Pro Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little, known as ‘The Franchise’ in his career with the Denver Broncos, passed away on New Year’s Day. He was 78.
Few have been diagnosed with cancer, which became known last May, and were moved to hospital care in November.
“Floyd Little was a true hero of the game. He was a man of great integrity, passion and courage,” said David Baker, president and CEO of Pro Football, in a statement. “His contributions from the field were even greater than his incredible accomplishments. Floyd’s smile, heart and character show the significance of a Hall of Fame life.
Little’s family said in a statement: “The family testifies to everyone who supported Floyd Little and his family during this time with prayers, calls and your heartfelt expressions of love.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the people around Little are proud to have known him.
“I was so happy to know Floyd and saw first-hand the impact he had on others,” Goodell said in a statement. “Every time he represented the Broncos at the annual NFL draft, others immediately tried to greet him and his sincere excitement to be with his fellow legends and his pride and passion for the Broncos was unmistakable.” Football, the Broncos and the NFL were a big a part of his life, but nothing could surpass his love and affection for his wife DeBorah and his children, Marc, Christy and Kyra. To them and the whole Little Family we express our deepest sympathy. ‘
For many fans, Little was the team’s first star. Little has always been a lively presence at team functions and also regularly attended ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Little was inducted into the 2010 Hall’s Class. Little is also an All American three-time Syracuse and is also in the College Football Hall of Fame.
‘I feel so blessed in everything, and as long as I can, I will always come back [to Canton]’I always hope to see many more Broncos here with me as the years go by,’ Little put it in 2019 when both Champ Bailey and Pat Bowlen, owner of Broncos, were captured. “Football has given me so much and I will always try to give back in every way to young people who need our help.
“I have always been blessed in the game and will always feel that way through all the pain.”
After the Broncos’ victory over the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 22, when the team rushed for 189 yards when Phillip Lindsay of Denver South High School finished with 89 yards on 16 runs, the team sent a game ball to Little. Little’s wife, DeBorah, posted on social media photos of the ball in Little’s room in hospice.
Little, who was the sixth choice of the 1967 AFL-NFL draft by the Broncos, played nine seasons with Denver and rushed for 6233 yards with 43 tackles. Those early years of the Broncos franchise – one of the original AFL teams in 1960 – were usually a battle on the field, as Little played the lead for teams that did not make the playoffs.
The Broncos finished just twice in Little’s career – in 1973 and 1974. But he was a five-time Pro Bowl pick and led the AFL in both 1967 and 1968.
He also became the first player to lead the NFL in the rush while playing for last place (1971 by 1,133 yards). The Broncos only reached the post-season in the 1977 season, two years after Little’s retirement.
Earlier this year, former Syracuse team-mate Pat Killorin announced Little’s cancer diagnosis when he created a GoFundMe page called ‘Friends of Floyd’. Little had stage 2 neuroendocrine tumor cancer, and more than $ 100,000 was raised to help the Littles with medical costs.
From 2011 to 2016, Little worked in the athletics department of Syracuse, and in 2016, he earned an honorary doctorate from the school.
“Floyd Little embodies what it means to be Orange,” Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. “He was an American student-athlete. He set records in the NFL. He’s achieved success in the business world. Floyd has coached countless student-athletes and devoted his time, energy and resources to improving the lives of others. He was a good friend to me and his beloved Syracuse University. ‘
Syracuse’s men’s basketball coach, Jim Boeheim, honors Little in a tweet, calling him a ‘good friend’ and one of the school’s ‘greatest ambassadors’.
I lost a good friend and Syracuse University lost one of its greatest ambassadors of all time. Floyd Little brought a smile to the faces of everyone he encountered. Julius and I extend our condolences to DeBorah and Floyd’s family. pic.twitter.com/sIdzEdwhkV
– Jim Boeheim (@therealboeheim) 2 January 2021
Little has his no. 44 retired by both Syracuse and the Broncos.
Little is called ‘The Franchise’ because his signature, when players could choose between the NFL and AFL, had the honor of moving the team in the 1960s and convincing local voters to raise funds for the establishment of the Mile High- stadium to approve.