Syracuse Football: Outpouring of love reflects character of Floyd Little

Tributes are pouring in from an abundance of admirers for Syracuse football legend Floyd Little.

Floyd Little is a Syracuse football legend, Orange icon and proud ambassador of the greater ‘Cuse community, and that will never change.

Little, 78, passed away on Jan. 1, 2021, per an announcement from the Syracuse University athletics department. We reported not too long ago that Little had entered into hospice care as he fought cancer.

His achievements on the field at the ‘Cuse are plentiful, among them that Little was a “three-time All-American for the Orange from 1964-66,” says the media statement.

In the NFL for the Denver Broncos, Little flourished, collecting more than 12,000 all-purpose yards and being named a five-time Pro Bowl selection, according to cuse.com.

Yet for all his success in football that resulted in inductions to the Pro and College Football Hall of Fames, what I and many other Syracuse fanatics will keep even closer to our hearts is the kind of human being Little is, his wonderful character, his mentorship of so many others, and his unparalleled integrity.

Case in point, after word came across of his passing, the amount of touching tributes that I’ve read is tremendous, and we’re going to share some of them here.

Orange athletics director John Wildhack, via cuse.com, said in part, “Floyd’s legacy is that he was a wonderful, wonderful person. He treated everyone with genuine care and respect and was always there for people. His impact as a person is those who he impacted. He was always willing to share his time, his wisdom, his support. … He is someone who leaves a legacy of pure class in every single respect. There was only one Floyd Little and there will never be another one like him.”

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim said, “Floyd was one of a kind on and off the field. He could make anybody smile. He could get along with everybody. He made everybody feel good about themselves and everything else. A unique person. A unique personality. It’s hard to try to explain how great of a person Floyd Little was. There is nobody better than Floyd Little in any way, shape or form, on the field or off the field. I don’t think anybody really compares to him. It was a privilege just to know Floyd Little.”

Per the press release, in 2011, Little returned to his alma mater to serve as special assistant to the director of athletics, a post that he held until 2016.

Herman Frazier, the Orange’s senior deputy athletics director, noted that in this role, Little “was here for the student-athletes, the coaches and the staff, in any situation. He is a strong pillar, a strong person, and a strong man. His legacy at Syracuse University will live on forever.”

Dick Stockton, a Syracuse University graduate and well-known sports broadcaster, had this to say. “There are so many great athletes who get it done on the field, but what are they like off the field? Floyd was a special guy. When you talk about role model, Floyd Little was indeed the epitome of a role model for people. I have seen a lot of athletes in all sports. He was a nice person, a kind person, he was considerate. The way he was off the field impressed me more. A great successor to the #44 era of Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd. If I were with Floyd right now, I would say, ‘Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of all of our hearts.’”

I wholeheartedly agree with Stockton.

Little, born in July of 1942 in New Haven, Conn., is survived by his wife, DeBorah, son Marc, daughters Christy and Kyra, and several grandchildren, according to cuse.com. RIP, Floyd. Orange Nation eternally loves you.

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