Congratulations to Floyd Little for being the third Denver Bronco to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame! He deserves it. I obviously wasn't around to see him play but I know he meant a lot to the Denver Broncos. Back in the 1960's the Broncos were terrible and no one cared to attend the games. His nickname was “The Franchise” because he forced the build out of Mile High Stadium and was so exciting to watch he started selling out the stadium and saved the Broncos from relocation. Mile High Stadium sell-outs are a tradition that still lasts to this day. I am on a 5-year waiting list for season tickets to the Denver Broncos. In 1971, Little was the first Bronco to exceed 1,000 yards in a single season, with an NFL-best 1,133 yards that year. In 1972 he was voted “Running back of the Year” by the Professional Football Writers of America. From 1968-1973 he led all of professional football in rushing yards and retired 7th all time in professional football history with 6,323 yards and 54 touchdowns. Little was the first Bronco to have his jersey (44) retired. Although he retired 7th all time, the top 6 ahead of him had already been voted in by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was common for pre-merger players of AFL teams. Little finally got his turn this past Saturday when he was enshrined. His hall of fame speech was inspiring. He urged anyone who heard his voice to be a leader in whatever you do; to leave a legacy for your family to be proud of. Floyd Little never gave up; even when odds were against him in his life. 37 years after he played his last game, he still personifies who a true Denver Bronco really is.
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