1. Floyd Douglas Little was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Denver Broncos, initially in the American Football League and later the National Football League.
31 Facts About Floyd Little
1. 2.
Floyd Little played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen, twice earning All-American honors.
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Floyd Little was the first first-round draft pick to sign with the AFL's Broncos, where he was known as "the Franchise".
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Floyd Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
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Floyd Little was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 4,1942.
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Floyd Little attended the Hillhouse High School in New Haven and the Bordentown Military Institute in Bordentown, New Jersey.
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Floyd Little was recruited by the University of Notre Dame.
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Floyd Little ultimately chose to attend Syracuse University at the persuasion of the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis.
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Floyd Little is the only three-time All-American running back to have played for the Orange.
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Floyd Little finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting in both 1965 and 1966.
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Floyd Little threw a touchdown pass to receiver Jerry Simmons in a 1972 upset over the Oakland Raiders.
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Floyd Little led the NFL in combined yards in 1967 and 1968.
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Floyd Little was Denver Broncos' team captain in all of his nine seasons with the team, including his rookie campaign.
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Floyd Little was a charter member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 1984, which included; Rich Jackson, Lionel Taylor, and Goose Gonsoulin.
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Floyd Little was an American Football League All-Star in 1968.
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Floyd Little was named first-team "All-AFL" in 1969, and made the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl in 1970,1971, and 1973.
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Floyd Little led the league in combined yards in 1967 and 1968 and was the only player to return punts for touchdowns in both seasons.
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Floyd Little acquired his nickname "the Franchise" because his decision to sign with the AFL's Broncos was credited with generating sufficient fan interest to keep the team from relocating in the 1960s, and with helping to convince Denver voters to approve funding for the purchase and expansion of Mile High Stadium.
19.
In 2005, Floyd Little was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's third HOVG class.
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In 2009, Floyd Little was a finalist for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Floyd Little was voted in on February 6,2010, his induction took place in Canton, Ohio, on August 7,2010.
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Floyd Little is one of five players in the Super Bowl era to make the Hall of Fame without ever playing a postseason game.
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From July 2011 to June 2016, Floyd Little served as the special assistant to the athletic director at Syracuse University.
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Floyd Little was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
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Floyd Little was inducted into the Denver Broncos' Ring of Fame on October 1,1984.
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On May 15,2016, Floyd Little received his honorary doctorate from Syracuse University in Humane Letters.
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On May 17,2019, Floyd Little was awarded the University of Denver's Distinguished Alumni Award and on May 18,2019, Floyd Little was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws as speaker at DU's Sturm College of Law's commencement ceremonies.
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Floyd Little finished 40th in his class of 140 at the University of Denver law school, from which he received his master's degree in legal administration degree in 1975.
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Floyd Little owned automobile dealerships in Denver, the Seattle area and Santa Barbara.
30.
In May 2020, his former Syracuse teammate Pat Killorin announced that Floyd Little had been fighting cancer.
31.
Floyd Little is portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman in the 2008 Universal Pictures film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, a biographical film about Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis.