Floyd Little
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Floyd Little | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | July 4, 1942 |
| Place of birth |  New Haven, Connecticut |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| College | Syracuse |
| AFL Draft | 1967 / Round 1/ Pick 6 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | AFL All-Star 1968, 1969 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl 1970, 1971, 1973 |
| Honors | Broncos' Ring of Fame |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1967-1969 1970-1975 |
AFL Denver Broncos NFL Denver Broncos |
Floyd Douglas Little (born July 4, 1942 in New Haven, Connecticut) was a three-time American football All-American running back at Syracuse University. In 1967 Floyd Little was the 6th selection of the first common NFL-AFL draft. He was the first No. 1 draft pick to sign with the American Football League's Denver Broncos where he was known simply as "The Franchise" for saving the team from certain relocation by forcing the expansion of Mile High Stadium and generating a string of sellouts that lasts today.
Legend has it that he was "fired" by coach Lou Saban after a fumble that led to a late-game lead for the Buffalo Bills in 1968. Little, after refusing to leave the huddle, asked QB Marlin Briscoe to "throw the ball as far as you can and I'll catch it." Briscoe threw it, Little caught it, and the Broncos kicked a winning field goal.
Little became a charter member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 1984; he was the first Bronco to win the AFC rushing title with 901 yards in 1970; the following year he became the first Bronco to eclipse 1,000 yards, gaining 1,133, to lead the entire NFL. He was an American Football League All-Star in 1968, named first-team "All-League" in 1969, and made the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl in 1970, 1971 and 1973. At just 5-10, 195-pounds, Little was a pioneer who became the smallest back to lead the league in rushing since before World War II. He was as versatile as he was exciting. He led the league in combined yards in 1967 & 68 and was the only player to return punts for TDs in both seasons. During his prime, 1968-73, he led the NFL in both yards Rushing and Yards from Scrimmage (rushing and receiving). Little was voted "Running Back of the year" in 1972 by the Professional Football Writers of America, and was 1 of just 7 players to total more than 100-yards (104) per game. Incredibly, despite spending most of his career as the lone offensive threat on a losing team, he retired as the 7th leading rusher in NFL history with 6,323 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns. He was the first Bronco to have his jersey 44 "officially" retired.
[edit] Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attempts | Yards | Y/A | TDs | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TDs | |||
| 1967 | Denver Broncos | 13 | 130 | 381 | 2.9 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 1.6 | 0 |
| 1968 | Denver Broncos | 11 | 158 | 584 | 3.7 | 3 | 19 | 331 | 17.4 | 1 |
| 1969 | Denver Broncos | 9 | 146 | 729 | 5.0 | 6 | 19 | 218 | 11.5 | 1 |
| 1970 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 209 | 901 | 4.3 | 3 | 17 | 161 | 9.5 | 0 |
| 1971 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 284 | 1133 | 4.0 | 6 | 26 | 255 | 9.8 | 0 |
| 1972 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 216 | 859 | 4.0 | 9 | 28 | 367 | 13.1 | 4 |
| 1973 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 256 | 979 | 3.8 | 12 | 41 | 423 | 10.3 | 1 |
| 1974 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 117 | 312 | 2.7 | 1 | 29 | 344 | 11.9 | 0 |
| 1975 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 125 | 445 | 3.6 | 2 | 29 | 308 | 10.6 | 2 |
| Career | Denver Broncos | 117 | 1641 | 6323 | 3.9 | 43 | 215 | 2418 | 11.2 | 9 |
[edit] External links
Floyd Little angry over lack of Broncos in Hall of Fame
