Today's Facebook message from from Floyd Little's wife ...

[USMCSnyper]

 

[FloridaFan]

this makes me truly upset

 

[BVille44]

2020 Sucks

 

[sutomcat]

View attachment 191669

Great letter from Pat. What a wonderful friend. This year has been brutal in so many ways. Best wishes to Floyd, Deborah and the rest of the Little family. It can’t end soon enough.

 

[OburgOrange]

I’m sad. Very sad

 

[FasterCuse]

Best wishes to Floyd and his family. Absolute legend.

 

[GreekFreak]

Fantastic human being and representative for the University. He is is one of a kind. God Bless Floyd.

 

[kcsu]

Great letter from Pat. What a wonderful friend. This year has been brutal in so many ways. Best wishes to Floyd, Deborah and the rest of the Little family. It can’t end soon enough.

It is a beautiful letter. Hospice workers are Angels on earth. May God be with and look after Floyd and his family.

 

[Crusty]

Floyd *is* SU!

View attachment 191672View attachment 191673

Looks like the USF game TexanMark when Floyd graciously spent a large amount of time with us. Great memory of a special man.

 

[OburgOrange]

Such a nice and gracious man. Met him at Fort Drum one year when the team used to go there for a week of camp. He showed me his CFBHOF ring and his PFHOF ring. They were huge. He was so proud of them. We had a nice chat. I’ll always cherish that memory. God Speed Floyd.

 

[cto]

Today's Facebook message from Floyd's wife Deborah:

Good morning Family and Friends. I Pray you are all well and staying safe as each new day brings new challenges to saving our lives.

It is 3:45am as I begin this message. I have been tossing and turning all night and this night it is not because Floyd couldn't sleep, or was in pain, or for any other reason related to Floyd and his health or wellbeing. This night is restless because we (me and our kids) feel like the story of our lives, in this moment, has been hijacked and stolen away from us.

For the past several months it has been public information that Floyd is battling cancer. I have shared many, many times that he is a very private man and we (me, Floyd and our kids), collectively and respectfully kept his information private until we, collectively, decided it was time to share. We started with our immediate family and our closest friends then slowly shared his condition with a few more distant friends before finally sharing with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL. We believed those closest to us deserved to be told by us personally before the media got ahold of the information. We missed notifying a few people personally but we did our best.

As the months progressed we were initially bombarded (in a good way) with your love, prayers and support... and we were, and will forever be eternally grateful. Inquiries about Floyds condition were constant and sent via text, calls, USPS, and social media and we did our best to keep folks informed but so much changes so fast. Every day is different and what is true today is no longer true tomorrow. Constantly sharing information is exhausting and can be very depressing, especially when there is no 'real' good news to share. So we slowed down our updates and focused more on supporting each other and surrounding Floyd with our love and prayers. We needed time to deal with the shock and grasp what was happening to our lives. In the meantime, Floyd and I traveled from doctor to doctor between Las Vegas and Phoenix, AZ making life or death decisions about his health and his care.

Two weeks ago our lives took another turn and we were faced with a whole new reality. As we shifted from one horrible narrative to another we embraced and supported each other, again, as best we could. The shock of our new reality has not worn off yet, but we have been gathering ourselves and while protecting and holding Floyd up in prayer in the background, collectively discussing how and when to share our new reality with family and our closest friends. We were, in the last day or two, just beginning to agree upon when and how to share our new reality publicly.

Most unfortunately the opportunity to share our story, in our way and in our time, was snatched away from us when someone we welcomed in decided to post our update on their social media and notify the press. While I am sure it was well intended, the most disappointing part is that we were not consulted, asked for permission to do so, or even given a heads up that this was coming. Last night I began receiving messages from a few good friends in my hometown of Syracuse about Floyd's condition. I asked, "Where did you hear this?" and was told, "It's on the evening news." WHAT?!!!

The texts and messages between me and our kids were frantic! Here we are respecting Floyd's privacy for as long as we could by being patient and only notifying those closest to us as we strategically planned for the release of this new information, only to have it all snatched away by an eager informer who talked to the press! OMG! We were not sharing Floyd's story with the Press yet! There were still many we wanted to inform, including you my Facebook Family and Friends, before making this public. I even notified the PFHOF and asked the President, David Baker to share with Floyd's HOF brothers, but not publicly yet and he respected that request.

Anyway... I'm getting all worked up so I'd better conclude...

I do believe, in my heart, that our friend was very much well intending, but we simply should have been consulted before
speaking to the press. Floyd's story was not already circulating in the press and that should have been the first clue.

The Public Announcement we are now forced to share is that Floyd's Dr's determined that his cancer treatments were not performing well so they discontinued treatment and strongly recommended hospice care. He has been under hospice care for two weeks and two days. As for the question, "How is Floyd?" ... taking it one day at a time.

Thank you for your Love and Support. Please Keep Praying!

It is 5:30am and I'm going to try to get some rest before beginning this new day.

I send you Love and Blessings,
From Floyd and DeBorah
And Our Kids

 

[721Comstock]

So very sad.

Godspeed Floyd.
You will always be remembered as an amazing athlete, and an even better person.

 

[Cusefan69]

Damn...I can appreciate his wife's frustrations. Cancer is evil in how it attacks. Nothing but kind wishes and comfort to Floyd and his wife and their family.

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[GreekFreak]

One of Floyd's gifts was that even if you only met him once he could make you feel like you were old friends. May peace be with Floyd and his his family and know that they are loved by our SU family.

 

[Bulldog04]

Got to spend some time with Floyd at Prime in downtown Syracuse during some dinner evenings and I don’t think there are people in this world who are better people than Floyd. He genuinely cared about others like I have never seen before. He asked me more questions about me, golf, my upbringing in Syracuse and genuinely cared. That permanent smile was so infectious.
The hardest part of this whole cancer thing is it takes away who you are. My dad died from cancer 7 years ago and it wipes out your energy and charisma because it’s so painful. That’s what saddens me about Floyd is that I truly
Hope it didn’t take away his spirit as he truly is such a kind, amazing man. Prayers to the family

 

[rrlbees]

Thoughts and prayers for Floyd and his family.

 

[Cuse Action]

I think of Floyd almost every day. Prayers to you Floyd.

I think of him most every day as well. Floyd and I had a mutual friend when we were students at SU and while I didn't hang out with him, I did spend some time in his company. He was always down to earth and never tried to be bigger than other people , just a great person.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Floyd was my second favorite player as a kid behind Ernie. While I was in high school, he spent one day speaking to a few high schools in the Syracuse area. He arrived at my high school by helicopter and was immediately engulfed by adoring students. I stupidly left pen and paper in the classroom but stood next to him as he signed a number of autographs. I was immediately struck by how wide his shoulders were, kind of like during my frosh year at SU when I passed Al Newton in the Hall of Languages and he seemingly all but had to turn sideways to fit his shoulders through a doorway.

Floyd spoke at an assembly in the gym. I can't recall the subject but it was probably along the lines to trying to get the assembled masses to follow the straight and narrow. What I do recall is that he was supposed to stay only 15 minutes but ended up staying a lot longer. He chatted and told jokes. I still recall the jokes.

Cancer is such an insidious disease. In its terminal form it gives you a chance to say goodbye but chews you up and spits you out before it is through with you. This year alone it cost me my Brother in March and in September it claimed my beloved wife of 40 years.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Floyd and his family.

 

[orangetom]

I never met Floyd but am extremely jealous of those who have. May his family find comfort in these trying times.

 

[Chip]

Floyd was my second favorite player as a kid behind Ernie. While I was in high school, he spent one day speaking to a few high schools in the Syracuse area. He arrived at my high school by helicopter and was immediately engulfed by adoring students. I stupidly left pen and paper in the classroom but stood next to him as he signed a number of autographs. I was immediately struck by how wide his shoulders were, kind of like during my frosh year at SU when I passed Al Newton in the Hall of Languages and he seemingly all but had to turn sideways to fit his shoulders through a doorway.

Floyd spoke at an assembly in the gym. I can't recall the subject but it was probably along the lines to trying to get the assembled masses to follow the straight and narrow. What I do recall is that he was supposed to stay only 15 minutes but ended up staying a lot longer. He chatted and told jokes. I still recall the jokes.

Cancer is such an insidious disease. In its terminal form it gives you a chance to say goodbye but chews you up and spits you out before it is through with you. This year alone it cost me my Brother in March and in September it claimed my beloved wife of 40 years.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Floyd and his family.

So sorry for your losses as well Dick. It cost me my father too soon. It's just the worst. Being there in the last moments of breath is chilling, and sticks with you forever.

Continued best wishes to Floyd and family as well.

 

[BillSU]

First to Deborah and Floyd and his family blessings to you all – may HE be with you always during this time.

I want to try and write something that is not all sad and I hope I do. I wanted to go from being a Craniac to telling you about my meeting with Floyd Little and finally provide you with some information about his recruitment to Syracuse.

I'll never forget this singular moment. It was a very special evening in my life when I met Floyd Little walking back to Kimmel Hall about 7 P.M. on the sidewalk of Marshall Street back in September of 1963.

I was tired from football practice and not in a wonderful mood when I heard steps coming up behind me and the words “hey rookie slow down.”

It was Floyd with this never ending smile on his face asking how I was doing. He took a few steps ahead of me and turned his face towards mine put his arm on my shoulder and stopped me. I recognized him immediately because I was a walk on to the freshman football team and knew him from practice in back of Manley.

We were on the same team. He said “hey Phillips where are you going so fast?” He then asked me my first name, he knew my last from the tape across the front of my helmet. I told him, Bill. He shook my hand and asked if something was wrong and I told him I was still hungry but most of all that I didn't beat him during sprints after practice again. He said “hell man, I go all out just to beat you and I do a 9.7 hundred and that's not slow, you should be happy because I think I am the fastest on the team. Don't you ever let my speed make you this way. I have to lean to beat you so you are as fast as I am.” He grabbed me by the arm and we continued arm in arm together smiling up Marshall Street. My personality changed in a second and my smile didn't go off my face until I went to sleep. Floyd in that moment was changing another persons life, mine, into a huge positive – that's the way he was and we were immediate friends and would smile at each other at practices all that year. Floyd is a blessing to anyone who he meets. I'll always remember what he did for me.

But Cancer takes everything from you. In my case my sister “Bobbie” in 2014 who was eight years older than I but still close. She was a beauty, runner up to Miss New Jersey in Atlantic City and Judy a wonderful woman I lived with for ten years also died in the same year. I remember, as I took care of Judy, what the disease does to you. You sometimes become numb to the person as it progresses but I think I have been proudest of myself of anything I have done in life to have taken care of someone so courageous I loved who was eaten away by it.

It took both but not the beautiful memories I have of them.

Dick in Mich blessings to you and your family.

And again to Floyd, when you can, please smile down at me and I will be a better man still because of your doing so. I love you, man. Everyone does.

The following link I must not have done something correctly here but if you want to read how Floyd became Orange just Google: How Floyd Little Decided To Play Football At Syracuse. The story and a few pics will be available to you. It is a great read. Ben & Ernie on a snowy night in New haven.

How Floyd ended up at SU...hope the link works: How Floyd Little Decided To Play Football At Syracuse: The Non-Hollywood Version | ThePostGame.com

 

[Killdozer]

What a wonderful human being. I will always feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have met him.

 

[Cuse Action]

Floyd was my second favorite player as a kid behind Ernie. While I was in high school, he spent one day speaking to a few high schools in the Syracuse area. He arrived at my high school by helicopter and was immediately engulfed by adoring students. I stupidly left pen and paper in the classroom but stood next to him as he signed a number of autographs. I was immediately struck by how wide his shoulders were, kind of like during my frosh year at SU when I passed Al Newton in the Hall of Languages and he seemingly all but had to turn sideways to fit his shoulders through a doorway.

Floyd spoke at an assembly in the gym. I can't recall the subject but it was probably along the lines to trying to get the assembled masses to follow the straight and narrow. What I do recall is that he was supposed to stay only 15 minutes but ended up staying a lot longer. He chatted and told jokes. I still recall the jokes.

Cancer is such an insidious disease. In its terminal form it gives you a chance to say goodbye but chews you up and spits you out before it is through with you. This year alone it cost me my Brother in March and in September it claimed my beloved wife of 40 years.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Floyd and his family.

I'm very sorry to hear about your brother and your wife. I cannot imagine how painful this has been for you.

 

[DMDMD]

I hope he can find both comfort and joy in his remaining time before he finds peace.