Longtime Denver Broncos running back and Hall of Famer Floyd Little entered hospice care over the weekend after a long battle with cancer.
Patrick Killorian, one of Little’s former teammates at Syracuse, announced the move on Facebook on Saturday night, according to Syracuse.com. It’s not clear what type of cancer the 78-year old is battling, but Killorian described it on a GoFundMe page as a “treatable but aggressive form” when he revealed the diagnosis in May.
“Today we are going to talk about a new stage in Floyd’s journey. … Hospice,” Killorin wrote, via Syracuse.com. “Floyd’s courageous battle with a difficult disease (cancer) is now at a critical stage in his life. This is a time when a husband and wife must make important decisions regarding potential end of life decisions.”
Little spent there seasons at Syracuse from 1964-66, and compiled 2,750 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns before the Broncos selected him with the No. 6 overall pick. He ranks sixth all-time in rushing yards in Syracuse history, and averaged 90.1 rushing yards per game — the third-most in school history.
The Connecticut native played for Denver from 1967-75, and racked up more than 6,300 rushing yards and 52 total touchdowns during his nine seasons in the league. The five-time Pro Bowler was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, and his number 44 was retired both at Syracuse and in Denver.
“All of our thoughts & prayers are with Floyd, his wife DeBorah & the Little family,” Broncos chief communications officer Patrick Smyth said on Twitter. “The first Pro Football Hall of Famer to play for the Broncos and still a great ambassador for the team today. ‘The Franchise’ led all of pro football in yards during his 9-year career from ’67-75.”
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