Denver Broncos Hall of Fame RB Floyd Little dies at 78

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ENGLEWOOD, Colorado – Professional Football Hall of Fame member Floyd Little, known as the “Franchise” during his career with the Denver Broncos, passed away on New Years Day.

Few patients had been diagnosed with cancer, which became public last May, and was transferred to palliative care in November.

“Floyd Little was a true hero of the game. He was a man of great integrity, passion and courage,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said in a statement. “His contributions off the field were even more important than his incredible achievements. Floyd’s smile, heart and character embodied what it meant to have a Hall of Fame life.

Little’s family said in a statement, “The family expresses their gratitude to all who have supported Floyd Little and his family during this time with prayers, appeals and your sincere expressions of love.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said people around Little were proud to have known him.

“I was fortunate to know Floyd and witness the impact he has had on others,” Goodell said in a statement. “Whenever he represented the Broncos in the annual NFL Draft, others immediately looked to greet him and his genuine enthusiasm to be with his fellow Legends and his pride and passion for the Broncos was undeniable.” 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 to the whole family, we express our deepest sympathy.

For many fans, Little was the team’s first star. Always very present at team meetings, Little had also become a regular at the ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Little was entered in the Hall’s Class of 2010. Three-time All American in Syracuse, Little 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], and I always hope to see a lot more Broncos here with me over the years, ” that’s how Little put it in 2019 when Champ Bailey and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen were consecrated. “Football has given me so much and I will always try to give back in any way to the young people who need our help.

“I have always been blessed in the game and despite all the aches and pains, I will always feel like this. ”

Following the Broncos’ Nov. 22 win over the Miami Dolphins, when the team ran 189 yards while Denver South High School’s Phillip Lindsay finished with 89 yards on 16 carries, the team sent a game ball to Little. Little’s wife DeBorah posted photos on social media of the prom in Little’s hospice room.

Little, who was the Broncos’ sixth pick in the 1967 AFL-NFL Draft, played nine seasons with Denver and rushed for 6,323 yards with 43 touchdowns. Those early years of the Broncos franchise – one of the original AFL teams in 1960 – were usually a struggle on the pitch as Little played for the teams that didn’t make the playoffs.

The Broncos finished with a record of winning just two times in Little’s career – in 1973 and 1974. But he was drafted five times to the Pro Bowl and led the AFL in combined yards in 1967 and 1968.

He also became the first player to lead the NFL to the race, playing for a team in last place (1971 with 1,133 yards). The Broncos didn’t make the playoffs until the 1977 season, two years after Little’s retirement.

Earlier this year, former Syracuse teammate Pat Killorin publicized Little’s cancer diagnosis by creating a GoFundMe page titled “Friends of Floyd.”

From 2011 to 2016, Little worked in the Syracuse athletics department, and in 2016 he received an honorary doctorate from the school.

“Floyd Little embodied what it means to be Orange,” Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. “He was an all-American student-athlete. He set records in the NFL. He was successful in the business world. Floyd mentored countless student-athletes and devoted his time, energy and resources to improving the lives of others. a great friend, to me and to his beloved Syracuse University. “

Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim honored Little in a tweet, calling him a “great friend” and one of the “school’s greatest ambassadors.”

Little had his No.44 withdrawn by both Syracuse and the Broncos.

Little was called “The Franchise” because his signing, when players could choose between the NFL and the AFL, was credited with preventing the team from relocating in the 1960s and helping convince local voters to ‘Approve funds to build Mile High Stadium.



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