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Larry Little

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Larry Little
refer to caption
Little in 2013
No. 73, 66
Position:Guard
Personal information
Born: (1945-11-02) November 2, 1945 (age 79)
Groveland, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school:Booker T. Washington
(Miami, Florida)
College:Bethune–Cookman
Undrafted:1967
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
As a player
As a coach
  • MEAC Coach of the Year (1984)
Career NFL statistics
Games played:183
Games started:155
Fumble recoveries:6
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Head coaching record
Career:College: 78–80–1 (.494)
WLAF: 1–9 (.100)
Total: 79–89–1 (.470)
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Larry Chatmon Little (born November 2, 1945) is an American former professional football guard who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats. He signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 1967. After two years in San Diego, he was then traded to the Miami Dolphins where he played for the rest of his career, establishing himself as one of the best guards in the NFL.

Little was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a seven-time All-Pro selection. He was the starting right guard of a dominant Dolphins offensive line which included Hall of Fame center Jim Langer and left guard Bob Kuechenberg, that was instrumental in the Dolphins winning Super Bowl VII during their perfect season in 1972, and Super Bowl VIII the following year. He was elected to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, a member of the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early life

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Little was born in Groveland, Georgia, on November 2, 1945, the second of six children. The family moved to Florida and he grew up in Miami.[1] His mother was his greatest influence.[2] As a child, his favorite team was the Baltimore Colts.[2] He attended Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami, where he played football as a two-way lineman.[3][4] He has been inducted into the Booker T. Washington High School Hall of Fame.[5] In 2023, he was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.[4]

College career

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Little played for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats from 1964 to 1967 on the team's offensive and defensive lines at the respective tackle positions. He was a team caption, and a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection.[6][7] He was inducted into the Bethune-Cookman Hall of Fame in 2012.[8] Defensive line coach Tank Johnson was Little's favorite coach at any level.[2]

Professional career

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Little went undrafted in 1967. After the draft, he received free agent offers from Miami, San Diego, and Baltimore. He signed as a free agent with the American Football League's San Diego Chargers because they offered him the largest signing bonus ($750).[9] After playing for San Diego in 1967 and 1968, coach Sid Gillman grew frustrated with Little's not controlling his weight. He was traded to the AFL's Miami Dolphins for cornerback Mack Lamb before the 1969 season,[10][6] when he was named an AFL All-Star.[11] "I didn't particularly like the trade," Little said in the January 1974 issue of SPORT.[12] "The Dolphins weren't much then."[13] In his first year with Miami, although an All-Star, the Dolphins' record was a poor 3-10-1.[10]

Future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula became the Dolphins' head coach in 1970.[10] Among other things, he helped Little control his weight.[6][13] Of the 11 years he played for the Dolphins (1969-1980), Little played ten of them under Shula (1970-1980), missing only four games in 11 seasons, despite numerous injuries. He was considered an intimidating force run blocking and a superb pass blocker.[6]

Little was a key contributor to the success of the Dolphins' punishing running attack of the early and mid-1970s, which featured Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, and Jim Kiick. Shula, a coach on the NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team,[14] said Little played a major role in the Dolphins success as both a pass blocker and run blocker.[6] Little was a member of the 1972 Dolphins championship team that went 17-0, which established a record for team rushing yards at the time. The Dolphins' rushing average per year in the 1970s (2,372 yards rushing per year) led the NFL in that decade.[6] Little played under offensive line coach Monte Clark, whom Little acknowledged at this Hall of Fame induction.[15][6]

In 1973, he became to first guard to be paid a $100,000 annual salary.[10]

From 1971 through 1975, Little was named first team All-Pro five times, and again in 1977; and was second team All-Pro in 1978 (and named second team in 1977 by the Associated Press and United Press International).[6][16] He was All-AFC five times.[6] He appeared in five straight NFL Pro Bowls from 1971 to 1975, and appeared in the 1969 AFL All-Star Game.[6][11] He was named the National Football League Players Association's AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times (1970-1972).[6] He was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team at guard, along with Joe DeLamielleure.[17]

Post-playing career

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He also served as head football coach of his alma mater, from 1983 to 1991, winning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships in 1984 and 1988.[8] He was head coach at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) from 1993 to 1998. At least four of his NCCU players, Shawn Gibbs, Adrian Jones, Trei Oliver, and Dawson Odums went on to become college football coaches.[4][18] In addition, Little served as head coach of the Ohio Glory of the World League of American Football (which eventually became the now-defunct NFL Europe), for one year.[10]

In 1993, Little was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with the NFL's all-time winning coach Don Shula[19] as his presenter.[6] In 2013, he was inducted into Black College Football Hall of Fame.[20][21] He has also been inducted into the Florida Black Colleges Football Hall of Fame, and the Bob Hayes Hall of Fame (2019).[5] In 1978, he was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.[22]

On December 16, 1993, Little was added to the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll.[13] In 2011, Little was among the inaugural class entering the Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame.[23]

In 1999, he was ranked number 79 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.[24][25]

Miami's City Commission honored Little by naming a street after him.[26]

Personal life

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During his playing career and after he had a boys camp for underprivileged children, the Gold Coast Summer Camp,[5][27] eventually backed by the United Way. He was also listed in Who's Who in Black America.[2][6]

Little's younger brother, David Little, was a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.[28]

In 2007 was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team which selected the Top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in the state of Florida's history.[5][21]

Head coaching record

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College

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Hall of Famers Little and Dwight Stephenson, up on the Honor Roll, along with Bob Kuechenberg and Richmond Webb.
Little's bronze bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Bethune–Cookman Wildcats (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (1983–1991)
1983 Bethune–Cookman 4–4–1 1–3 T–3rd
1984 Bethune–Cookman 7–3 4–0 1st
1985 Bethune–Cookman 6–4 3–1 2nd
1986 Bethune–Cookman 3–8 2–3 5th
1987 Bethune–Cookman 4–7 2–3 4th
1988 Bethune–Cookman 5–6 4–2 T–1st
1989 Bethune–Cookman 5–5 3–3 T–3rd
1990 Bethune–Cookman 4–7 1–5 6th
1991 Bethune–Cookman 4–6 3–3 T–3rd
Bethune–Cookman: 45–48–1 23–23
North Carolina Central Eagles (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1993–1998)
1993 North Carolina Central 6–5 5–3 4th
1994 North Carolina Central 6–5 5–3 T–3rd
1995 North Carolina Central 5–6 4–4 5th
1996 North Carolina Central 8–3 5–3 T–4th
1997 North Carolina Central 4–7 4–3 T–4th
1998 North Carolina Central 4–6 3–4 7th
North Carolina Central: 33–32 26–20
Total: 78–80–1
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Smith, Don (1993). "Larry Little" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. 15 (4).
  2. ^ a b c d "Behind the Bronze: Larry Little | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Rosa, Poch de la (January 19, 2023). "The Life And Career Of Larry Little (Story)". Pro Football History. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Larry Little (2023) - Florida High School Athletic AssociationHall of Fame". fhsaa.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "About Larry Little". Larry Little Gold Coast Summer Camp. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Larry Little | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Larry Little | BCFHOF".
  8. ^ a b "Larry Little - Hall of Fame". Bethune-Cookman University Athletics. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "Shunned by the draft? Larry Little knows the feeling".
  10. ^ a b c d e Lowitt, Bruce (July 31, 1993). "Big honor for Larry Little". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Larry Little - Future Football Legends". futurefootballlegends.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  12. ^ "Untitled". Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c Unk, Jesse (July 31, 2020). "Top 10 Miami Dolphins Players of All Time". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  14. ^ "NFL 100". NFL.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  15. ^ "Clark, ex-Lions coach and longtime NFL assistant, dead at 72". NFL.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  16. ^ "Larry Little Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1970s - OFFENSE | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  18. ^ Berry, Mia (December 12, 2022). "Coaching legacy, brotherhood took root at North Carolina Central under Hall of Famer". Andscape. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  19. ^ "NFL 100". NFL.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  20. ^ "Larry Little's Prime Time Was 38 Years Ago". Bethune-Cookman University Athletics. May 8, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Larry Little to Enter Black College Football Hall of Fame". Bethune-Cookman University Athletics. January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  22. ^ "Florida Sports Hall of Fame | Larry Little". Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  23. ^ "Miami Dolphins Unveil Six Former Players to Walk of Fame | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal". Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  24. ^ "Sporting News Top 100 Football Players". Democrat and Chronicle. August 15, 1999. p. 3D. Retrieved November 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "The Sporting News 100 Greatest Players of All-Time (1999)". futurefootballlegends.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  26. ^ Grossman, Hillard (January 12, 2023). "Dolphins' legend Larry Little has Miami street named after him by Miami City Commission". IslanderNews.com | Locally Owned & Operated. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  27. ^ "Larry Little Gold Coast Summer Camp". Larry Little Gold Coast Summer Camp. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  28. ^ "Obituary: David Little / Former Steelers linebacker". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
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