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Broncos Wearing 44 Decal on Helmets to Honor Floyd Little

The Syracuse and Broncos legend passed away on Friday.

Mike McAllister

Broncos Wearing 44 Decal on Helmets to Honor Floyd Little
Broncos Wearing 44 Decal on Helmets to Honor Floyd Little /

NFL and College Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little passed away on Friday. Little was a legend at both the collegiate and professional level. After starring at Syracuse, Little was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the sixth pick of the 1967 NFL Draft.

Little went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Broncos, and many credit him for saving the franchise. That is why the Broncos organization, as well as its fan base, have given him the nickname "The Franchise." 

On Sunday, they announced on Twitter that they will be wearing a 44 patch on their helmets during the regular season finale in order to pay tribute to one of the organization's all-time greats. 

At Syracuse, Little was a three time All-American. He ran for 2,750 yards in three seasons with 35 touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Little also added 51 receptions for 591 yards and four more scores. He then spent nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, making five Pro Bowls and was named first team All-Pro in 1969. Little rushed for 6,323 yards with 43 touchdowns during his professional career. He added 2,418 receiving yards with nine more scores as well.

He has spent considerable time within Syracuse Athletics promoting the school and the football program. Little was one of the nice guys in sports, leaving a positive impression on everyone he met. Little was humble, kind and full of life. His passion for people, for life and for Syracuse will be deeply missed. 

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Mike McAllister
MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting.  EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans.  After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years.  Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports.  Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College. 

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