Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little Are Seniors Nominees for Hall of Fame Class of 2010

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, one of the most respected coaches in the NFL, may finally get through the doors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- as a player.

The seniors committee on Tuesday named LeBeau, 71, a cornerback who played in an NFL-record 171 consecutive games (most at his position), and running back Floyd Little, 67, who amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards, as the two seniors finalists for the Class of 2010.

They will join 15 modern-era candidates on the complete list of finalists for the 2010 class. The modern-era candidates are still under consideration by the selection committee.

While there has been much discussion about LeBeau's Hall of Fame worthiness as a coach -- always a difficult sell due to the enormous backlog of contributors fighting for precious spots against deserving players -- his best chance to get a bust in Canton likely comes this year.

LeBeau has been involved in the NFL as either a player or a coach for 51 years. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1959 but never made their cut, signing instead with the Detroit Lions and starring there for 14 seasons at cornerback.

LeBeau intercepted 62 passes in his career, which he returned for 762 yards and three touchdowns. That interception total ranked 3rd all-time in the NFL at the time of LeBeau's retirement after the 1972 season, and is tied for seventh all-time today. He was also voted to three Pro Bowls (1965-67)

His finest season came in 1970, when LeBeau posted an NFC-leading nine interceptions for 96 yards.

LeBeau, currently the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, is entering his 37th season as an NFL coach, and is known as the father of the zone blitz.

Little was the sixth player selected in the 1967 draft and was a five-time Pro Bowl pick for the Denver Broncos, gaining 6,323 career yards on 1,641carries and scoring 43 touchdowns. Little also had 215 catches for 2,418 yards and nine touchdowns. He retired in 1975 as the seventh-leading rusher in NFL history.

A prolific return man, Little also led the AFL in punt returns as a rookie and totaled 893 yards on 81 career punt returns, while returning 104 kickoffs for 2,523 yards in his nine-year career. Little became the first player in Broncos' history to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a single season, when he won the NFL rushing title in 1971 with 1,133 yards.

The Hall of Fame selection meeting will be held on Feb. 6, 2010, the day before Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida. To be elected, candidates must each receive the same 80 percent voting support required of all finalists.

The Hall's Board of Selectors can elect a maximum of two senior candidates and five modern-era candidates for a class no smaller than four nor larger than seven.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-25-2009 @ 10:34PM

G . Money said...

This has been a long time over do, for those who can remember Floyd Little on those cold days at Mile High Stadium. The kind of a days when the snow was as high as the seats in the stadium. Where we all yelled "Little Up The Middle" because we all knew where he was running. Thank-You Mr. Little for the good times, I had watching you and spending time with my Dad. It has been some time since I saw you play, but the memories will last a life time.

8-26-2009 @ 12:50AM

spikeritz said...

ITS ABOUT TIME! The Broncos are the least represented team in the Hall. Floyd Little played when the rest of the Broncos were VERY bad. Congrat Floyd you deserve it and are well overdue! Next Randy Gradishar and Shannon Sharp.

8-26-2009 @ 3:04AM

Marc T. Little said...

This is Marc, Floyd's son. I just wanted to say that you have made my dad and your Bronco a very happy man. Now on to February! Keep the faith. Thank you all.

8-26-2009 @ 10:15AM

IronCity4ever said...

Both of these men deserve to be in the hall. Major contributors to the game as players and in coaching.

I'll be in Canton for sure if they get voted in!

8-26-2009 @ 10:48AM

Marc, Your Dad was a class act here and is very well respected. I met him as a kid while he was playing. The whole city of Denver needs to celebrate. I just re-read his book last week and enjoyed it. He is well over due and Again We here in Denver need to Celebrate. Hopefully Randy Gradishier and Tom Jackson are not far behind. BOth of those men were Class acts too!

8-26-2009 @ 6:00PM

rgribbin said...

Floyd Little to the Hall of Fame - who would have known watching him back in the 60's....anybody with a vision. He was an outstanding high school @ Hill-Top and prep school athlete @ BMI - following in the footsteps of the great running backs of Syracuse.

Al Verdel can be the happiest - he showcased Little back in the glory days of Bordentown Military Institute's single-wing formations that featured Little for two-years of the 5-straight undefeated seasons the school enjoyed during the late 50's and early 60's against college-level freshman and junior varsity teams.

As we all know, Little went to Syracuse U but had been really destined for Notre Dame. Jim Brown played a big part as well as the late, great Ernie Davis in getting Little to go to the upstate New York school.

Little did well in his college studies; eventually studying for and becoming an attorney.

Marc - be proud of your father, he is the type of a student-athlete and person, our high school and college athletes should be looking up to as their symbol.

BMI
Class of '64

8-26-2009 @ 9:05PM

Juan Rojas said...

I don't think the statement "LeBeau, 71, a cornerback who played in an NFL-record 171 consecutive games (most at his position)" is accurate.

He was not a full-time starter until 1962.

8-26-2009 @ 9:09PM

FLoyd Little does not deserve the Hall of Fame. He gained 1,000 yards ONE TIME in his career. That is NOT ENOUGH. Why not Lawence McCutcheon? He was over 1,000 yards 4 times. CHuck Foreman? Larry Brown? He was the NFL MVP.

Floyd Little never got a vote to be league MVP. FLoyd Little is a nice guy, he's a great BRONCO, but not a Hall of Famer. It's not the Hall of Nice Guys.

8-26-2009 @ 9:10PM

8-26-2009 @ 9:32PM

Little was not a "prolific return man". He average 9 punt returns per season and about 11 kick returns. That does not qualify for hte league leadership

8-28-2009 @ 7:59PM

jayrcn said...

One person who has been overlooked for the senior selection is Ole Haugsrud, who owned the Duluth Eskimos in the 1920's. He is the reason there IS the NFL. He has been overlooked for too long. Look him up for yourselves, and see what he did for pro football.

8-29-2009 @ 1:14PM

janandrick84 said...

Dick LeBeau should be a shoo in. He's been kicking my Brownies butts for years.

9-06-2009 @ 12:21AM

wassup hustler said...

floyd little was a good running back but what about chuck foreman, larry brown (redskins) duane thomas, there are many running backs that put up better stats than little yes he was good but not good enough for the hall of fame

9-11-2009 @ 8:37PM

bachslunch said...

These are just awful nominations. Neither belong in the HoF as far as I'm concerned.

1. Dick LeBeau's postseason profile (AP 1st team all pro/pro bowl/all decade teams) is a remarkably weak 0/3/none. This would be the worst of any HoF DB if he's elected, by far (current HoF DB low water mark is Emmitt Thomas's paltry 1/5/none). There's a reason why LeBeau had a lot of INTs during his career -- QBs preferred to throw at him rather than teammates Dick Lane, Yale Lary, and Lem Barney, all legit HoF-ers. And if we're taking LeBeau's coaching in as part of this, that raises additional problems, namely that he's not retired yet (a 5-year retirement now for head coaches before HoF consideration is mandatory) and that he's not to my thinking more qualified an Assistant Coach candidate here than Clark Shaughnessy or Richie Petitbon (the latter was also a DB contemporary of LeBeau's with better postseason honors at 1/4/none). Never mind that DBs like Johnny Robinson (6/7/AllAFL), Cliff Harris (3/6/70s), Bobby Dillon (4/4/none), Jimmy Patton (5/5/none), and Jack Butler (3/4/50s), as well as guys who doubled as monster KRs such as Abe Woodson (2/5/none) and Lemar Parrish (1/8/none) would seem to be much more HoF deserving than LeBeau in the DB category.

2. in doing further research, Floyd Little would seem to be less qualified for the HoF than RB contemporary Chuck Foreman, and no more qualified than RBs such as Don Perkins or Ken Willard. There are other players who would have been better nominations, including fellow Bronco Randy Gradishar.

The Seniors Committee has become a glorified joke the last several years, nominating guys like Marshall Goldberg, Emmitt Thomas, and this year's crop over several more deserving candidates. And worse yet, the best player they've nominated recently, Claude Humphrey, got voted down. A total farce, an utter fiasco. So what else is new?