Hall of Famer and Syracuse legend Floyd Little ’67 will return to his roots to celebrate with his hometown community on Wednesday, May 2. The spotlight shines on Little and New Haven, Conn. as the ‘Hometown Hall of Famers ™’ program celebrates and honors the hometown roots of the sport’s greatest players.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate Insurance Company in New Haven, Conn. are hosting the special ceremonies and a plaque dedication event at Little’s alma mater, the James Hillhouse High School. “What a great honor for Floyd Little,” said Syracuse University Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. “A remarkable, extraordinary and special man, Floyd is one of the great people in the world. We are so excited that he is receiving this wonderful recognition.
The Syracuse athletics department will definitely visit the street that represents Floyd in Connecticut.” A special assistant to the athletics director at Syracuse University and a 2010 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Little will attend the event during which a 24” X 20” plaque will be presented to his high school and a road sign will also be given to the town of New Haven to be placed in an appropriate spot. The presentation will be made by Roger Harrison, Little’s longtime friend from Hillhouse. “’Hometown Hall of Famers™’ has been warmly embraced by communities and Hall of Famers alike,” said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Allstate to bring the Pro Football Hall of Fame to communities across the country and congratulate Floyd Little and James Hillhouse High School on bringing a piece of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to New Haven.”
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. 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.
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. 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.
Little returned to his alma mater as the special assistant to the athletics director in May 2011.
Press release provided by SU Athletics
No comments:
Post a Comment