| Before Terrell Davis, and before John Elway, the franchise player for the Denver
Broncos was number 44 — Floyd
Little. Little played for the Broncos from 1967 to
1975, rushing for 6,323 yards on 1,641 carries, and 43 touchdowns. Little is one of the
four original Bronco Ring of Fame inductees from
1984, and his jersey number, #44, is one of two that Denver has retired. Football was the game when I was growing up in Denver, and all the guys in grade
school wanted to be Floyd Little. He combined a slashing speed with rushing strength that
allowed him to win the AFC rushing titles two years running, no mean feat considering the
offensive lines he had. His statistics are even more amazing when you consider that the
Broncos didn't have a winning season until 1973.
Floyd Little was the first No. 1 draft pick ever signed by the Broncos
and was widely regarded as the first serious threat for the Broncos at running back.
Little totaled 12,103 all-purpose yards during his career, including a team-record 2,523
on kickoff returns. A Pro Bowl player in 1971, he played in the AFL All-Star games in 1968
and 1969. When Little retired, he was among the Top-10 all-time rushers in NFL history.
Born in Waterburn, Connecticut, Little grew up in New Haven, and went to
high school both at Hillhouse High School in New Haven and at Bordentown Military Academy
in New Jersey. He had 47 scholarship offers at graduation but decided to go to Syracuse because of Ernie Davis, the first
African-American to win the Heismann trophy. While at Syracuse, he lettered in spring
track, winter track, and football.
Little was a three-time All-American (1964-65-66) at Syracuse, following
in the footsteps of Orangemen Jim Brown and Ernie Davis as superstar tailbacks. Little
shattered most of the records set by his two predecessors, rushing for 2,704 yards,
returning punts for 845, kickoffs for 797, and passed for 19 — for a grand total of
4,947 yards. He also scored in 22 of 30 regular season games, including five times in one
game.
Little set the Gator
Bowl record for most yards rushing, running for 216 against Tennessee in
1966. Against the Vols., he averaged 7.4 yards on 29 carries. During his collegiate career
he rushed for 2,704 yards, gained 4,928 yards, and scored 46 touchdowns. He did this while
playing along with fellow Orangeman Larry Csonka. Little was inducted into the College
Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
 Following a short stint with NBC Sports, Floyd became a Ford dealer. In 1990, he
purchased Pacific Coast Ford
in Seattle. When he's not running his dealership, he keeps in contact with his three
children. Son Marc is an L.A. lawyer, daughter Christy is a doctoral candidate at
Georgetown, and daughter Kyra is a Broadway-bound actress, having won a role in
"Dream Girls".
-- compiled by Troy Bettinger,
updates appreciated. |
A Tribute to Floyd
Little, #44 
