Larry Chatmon Little (born November 2, 1945) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
guard in the
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
(AFL) and the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Bethune–Cookman Wildcats. He signed with the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
in 1967. After two years in San Diego, he was then traded to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
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
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
selection, and a seven-time
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
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
Super Bowl VII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
during their
perfect season in 1972, and
Super Bowl VIII the following year. He was elected to the
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, ...
, a member of the
Miami Dolphins Honor Roll
The Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor is a ring around the second tier at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which honors former players, coaches, contributors, and officials who have made significant contributions to the Miami Dolphins franc ...
, and was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in 1993.
Early life
Little was born in Groveland, Georgia, on November 2, 1945, the second of six children. The family moved to
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and he grew up in the Overtown neighborhood in
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. His mother was his greatest influence.
As a child, his favorite team was the
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
.
He attended
Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami, where he played football as a
two-way lineman, starting in his junior and senior years.
He has been inducted into the Booker T. Washington High School Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Little was named by the
Florida High School Athletic Association to its Team of the Century, to celebrate 100 years of high school football in Florida.
In 2016, as part of its Hometown Hall of Fame program, the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
honored Little with a plaque presented to Booker T. Washington. In 2023, he was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
College career
Through the efforts of his high school coach Alkin Hepburn, Little was offered a football scholarship to
Bethune-Cookman University (then Bethune-Cookman College) where he played on the
Bethune–Cookman Wildcats team from 1964 to 1967. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines at the respective tackle positions. He was a team captain, and a three-time All-
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection.
His 1966 teammates named him their most valuable player and outstanding defensive player. Little was also named a
Little All-American by the Ebony College Scoreboard in 1966.
He was inducted into the Bethune-Cookman Hall of Fame in 2012.
Little's defensive line coach, and fellow Bethune-Cookman Hall of famer, Cyril Lloyd "Tank" Johnson was Little's favorite coach at any level.
Johnson had played at Bethune-Cookman (class of 1958), served as its football team's assistant coach/defensive coordinator (1961-78), and became the school's athletic director (1972-91).
Professional career
Little went undrafted in
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
. 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
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
's
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
because they offered him the largest signing bonus ($750). After playing for San Diego in 1967 and 1968, coach
Sid Gillman
Sidney Gillman (October 26, 1911 – January 3, 2003) was an American football player, coach and executive. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wid ...
grew frustrated with Little's not controlling his weight. He was traded to the AFL's
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
for cornerback Mack Lamb before the
1969 season,
when he was named an
AFL All-Star.
"I didn't particularly like the trade," Little said in the January 1974 issue of ''
SPORT
Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...
''. "The Dolphins weren't much then."
In his first year with Miami, although an All-Star, the Dolphins' record was a poor 3-10-1.
Future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach
Don Shula
Donald Francis Shula ( ; January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American professional American football, football player, coach and executive who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. He played seven s ...
became the Dolphins' head coach in 1970.
Among other things, he helped Little control his weight.
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.
Little was a key contributor to the success of the Dolphins' punishing running attack of the early and mid-1970s, which featured
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Miami Dolphins. He also played in the NFL for three years with the ...
,
Mercury Morris
Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris (January 5, 1947 – September 21, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a running back and kick returner. He played for eight years, primarily for the Miami Dolphins, in the American Footbal ...
, and
Jim Kiick. Shula, a coach on the
NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team, said Little played a major role in the Dolphins success as both a pass blocker and run blocker.
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 (2,960 yards in a 14 game season). The Dolphins' rushing average per year in the 1970s (2,372 yards rushing per year) led the NFL in that decade.
Little played under offensive line coach
Monte Clark, whom Little acknowledged at his Hall of Fame induction.
In 1973, he became to first guard to be paid a $100,000 annual salary.
From 1971 through 1975, Little was named first team
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
five times, and again in 1977; and was second team All-Pro in 1978 (and named second team in 1977 by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
and
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...
).
He was All-AFC five times.
He appeared in five straight NFL
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
s from 1971 to 1975, and appeared in the
1969 AFL All-Star Game.
He was named the National Football League Players Association's AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times (1970-1972).
He was named to the
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, ...
at guard, along with
Joe DeLamielleure.
Post-playing career
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.
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.
In addition, Little served as head coach of the
Ohio Glory of the
World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
(which eventually became the now-defunct
NFL Europe
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
), for one year.
In 1993, Little was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
, with the NFL's all-time winning coach Don Shula as his presenter.
In 2013, he was inducted into
Black College Football Hall of Fame.
He has also been inducted into the Florida Black Colleges Football Hall of Fame, and the Bob Hayes Hall of Fame (2019).
In 1978, he was inducted into the
Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
On December 16, 1993, Little was added to the
Miami Dolphins Honor Roll
The Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor is a ring around the second tier at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which honors former players, coaches, contributors, and officials who have made significant contributions to the Miami Dolphins franc ...
.
In 2011, Little was among the inaugural class entering the Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame.
In 1999, he was ranked number 79 on ''
The Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Miami's City Commission honored Little by naming a street after him.
Personal life
During his playing career and after, he had a boys camp for underprivileged children, the Gold Coast Summer Camp,
eventually backed by the
United Way
United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...
. He was also listed in Who's Who in Black America.
Little's younger brother,
David Little, was a linebacker for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
.
In 2007, Little 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.
Head coaching record
College
See also
*
List of American Football League players
This is a list of players who appeared in at least one regular season or postseason game in the American Football League (AFL).
A
* Bud Abell
* Ray Abruzzese
* Ken Adamson
* Tom Addison
* Ben Agajanian
* Harold Akin
* Ted Alflen
* Bruce Alford ...
References
External links
*
Larry Litte at Professional Football Researchers, Larry Little, Don Smith, The Coffin Corner 15(4) (1993)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Larry
1945 births
Living people
American football offensive guards
American Football League players
Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football coaches
Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football players
Miami Dolphins players
North Carolina Central Eagles football coaches
Ohio Glory coaches
San Diego Chargers players
American Football League All-Star players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Booker T. Washington Senior High School (Miami, Florida) alumni
Sports coaches from Miami
Coaches of American football from Florida
Players of American football from Miami
African-American coaches of American football
20th-century African-American sportsmen
21st-century African-American sportsmen