Former Syracuse superstar and Professional Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little ‘67 is returning to Syracuse University to assist with the program he represented so well as a football student-athlete and alumnus. The three-time All-American and five-time Pro Bowl selection will serve as Special Assistant to the Athletics Director. He will be responsible for development and donor relations, assisting with student-athlete and team development and prospective student-athlete on-campus recruitment activities. In addition, he will handle special projects as assigned by the director of athletics as he will serve in many capacities for the athletics department.

“To have Floyd come back to Syracuse is like our own royalty returning to give back to his alma mater, which he has readily done over many years of gracious engagement,” said SU Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. “We all have been so proud of everything he has accomplished and represents. I am especially thrilled for the athletics department, the institution and the community, as Floyd will continue to make a huge impact in life. We look forward to being around his enthusiasm, inspiration and brilliance as we embrace his leadership. He will truly be a global ambassador for our great institution.”

A three-time All-American and 1966 ECAC Player of the Year at Syracuse, Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2010. He is one of 17 Syracuse representatives to be enshrined in the College Hall of Fame and one of six with Syracuse ties to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Little holds the Syracuse record for career touchdowns (46) and career punts returned for touchdowns (6). He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting both his junior and senior years.

“I have a great love for Syracuse and always have been an ambassador for the school,” Little said. “I think this is a great opportunity. I talk about ‘GPS,’ which is grace, passion and skill. My grace from God is to give so much in teaching. I think that I am a great teacher and I have a lot to give. I have so much passion for young people and want to do all I can to help them. I am glad that I can now give to students at Syracuse University, which has given so much to me. There are so many great, innovative things being done at Syracuse with the Chancellor engaging the community in ways the University never has before and I think Daryl has the program on its way to the National Championship. I truly want to be a part of that. I am thrilled.”

The recipient of more than 18 professional athlete achievement awards and more than 30 distinguished community service awards during his career, Little is enshrined in seven Halls of Fame. In 1974 alone, Little received three of the most prestigious community service awards in the YMCA Brian Piccolo Award, The Distinguished American Award for Community Service presented by the Connecticut Hall of Fame, and the American Jewish Community Appeal for Human Relations Citation in recognition of the outstanding contributions he made toward the betterment of man and his community.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Floyd Little is coming home to Syracuse,” said SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “While everyone knows him as a football legend and Hall of Famer, he is so much more. His effusive personality, generous nature, and irrepressible enthusiasm for the Orange make him ideal for this new role with SU Athletics—especially as an ambassador with alumni and supporters, and model and mentor for our student-athletes.”

In addition to the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, Little has been honored as a Syracuse University LetterWinner of Distinction and recognized by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame, and the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame. In 1992, Little was recognized with the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.

“We are excited to bring Floyd back home,” said Syracuse head football coach Doug Marrone. “He had a direct impact on our season when he was with us at Akron. Floyd spoke with the team the night before the game and gave them confidence and belief in themselves to go out and have the season we had. His message is powerful. He told the student-athletes that they should not let others define you, but define yourself. It is a message we will always carry with us in this program.”

Playing for the Orange from 1964 to 1966, Little gained 2,704 rushing yards and scored 35 touchdowns on the ground. During his junior season, he became the first Syracuse back to run for more than 1,000 yards, gaining 1,065 on 193 carries for a 5.5 average. That same season he returned a career-high three punts for scores, including a school-record 95-yarder, and became the second Syracuse student-athlete to gain more than 2,000 all-purpose yards.

“Floyd will be a tremendous asset to the athletics department, the University as a whole and the Syracuse community,” said Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim. “I’ve known him since we were students at Syracuse. Everyone will benefit from him being back on campus in his new role.”

The sixth player selected overall in the 1967 draft, Little made an immediate impact on the football field. A multi-dimensional player Little combined his rushing talents with great hands and also served as a return man for the Denver Broncos.

A five-time Pro Bowl pick, Little amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards during a career that spanned from 1967 to 1975. The first-round draft-selection gained 6,323 yards on 1,641 career carries and scored 43 touchdowns. He added 215 receptions for 2,418 yards and nine touchdowns. Little, who lead the AFL in punt returns as a rookie, totaled 893 yards on 81 career punt returns and returned 104 kickoffs for 2,523 yards in his nine-season career. Little was named All-AFL/NFL twice and All-AFC first- or second-team four straight years

In 1971, he became the first player in Broncos history to rush for 1,000 yards when he won the NFL’s rushing crown with 1,133 yards on the ground that season.

“Floyd is not only a Hall of Famer and living legend, he is a wonderful friend who inspires everything he touches,” Gross said. “We welcome Floyd and his wonderful wife, DeBorah, back home to their family in Syracuse as we continue to enhance the Syracuse athletics department.”

Little graduated from the University of Denver’s College of Law in 1975 and in 1979 he completed the Ford Motor Executive Management Training Program, where he participated in extensive seminars and in-field training in the areas of sales, marketing, accounting, finance and purchasing. The former president and owner of Pacific Coast Ford, which became a private capital dealership in 1996, Little was known as one of the most successful and well-respected Ford dealers in the industry and has served as a consultant and instructor for Ford’s Minority Dealers Program. In 2009, Little retired as a Ford dealer and was the longest tenured minority dealer in the Ford portfolio at the time. Since his retirement, Little has made appearances for the NFL and Hall of Fame events and been a popular and sought after speaker for Touchdown Presentations, LLC. He also participates in and supports numerous charitable events around the country.

Article source: http://www.suathletics.com/news/2011/5/5/FB_0505112448.aspx

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