Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, who starred at Syracuse and with the Denver Broncos, has been diagnosed with cancer.
Pat Killorin, who played alongside Little at Syracuse, publicly announced the diagnosis in a GoFundMe page called “Friends of Floyd,” which will aid Little and his family with medical costs. Little’s wife, DeBorah, confirmed the diagnosis.
“Floyd’s determination and fortitude has guided him throughout his life,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a statement Saturday night. “We know he will battle this challenge with the same focus. In this battle, he will have all of Orange Nation by his side.”
On the page, which was created May 17, Killorin said Floyd was “recently diagnosed with a treatable but aggressive form of cancer.”
“No doubt it will be the toughest fight of his life,” Killorin wrote. “Although he has lived a full life admired and enjoyed by many, Floyd doesn’t believe he has yet written, with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the final play of his life.”
As of Sunday evening, the fundraiser has generated more than $17,000 in donations from 162 donors. The page has set a goal of $250,000 to support Little and his family.
Little, 77, was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. He was a three-time All-American at Syracuse (1964-66) and was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
The Denver Broncos selected Little with the sixth pick of the 1967 AFL-NFL Draft. The star tailback, known as “The Franchise,” played nine seasons with the team and rushed for 6,323 yards with 43 touchdowns.
Little and his wife reside in Las Vegas.
