"Orange Royalty" Comes Home
5/26/2011 11:21:18 AM | Football
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"Floyd has been such an inspirational, positive, global, brilliant man for us and for the world," said Dr. Gross. "I've never met someone who is as positive as Floyd is -- I just feel like he can fix anything and anything he touches turns to gold.
"Whenever the Chancellor (Nancy Cantor) or I have called on Floyd Little, he's been there. He's been so supportive and his advice has been tremendous."
Little, in reflecting back on his association with Syracuse, recalled a Robert Frost poem he had learned from one of his English teachers.
"In that poem he said 'I got miles to go before I sleep and promises to keep.' I will keep all those promises," Little declared.
A standout running back at Syracuse, Little went on to forge a Hall-of-Fame career with the Denver Broncos. He has remained an active participant in University affairs through the years.
Little was a key member of the search committee that identified Doug Marrone as a candidate to become head football coach at the University.
"If that's any indication of how his tenure here in the athletic department will be, I think that's a good sign," Gross said.
"It's like going out and getting the number one recruit in the country from an excitement standpoint," said Marrone, who is entering his third season as SU's head football coach. "I think he will be a great asset, not only to the people outside the program. He will also have a great effect on the players that are here."
"Floyd was not only a great Syracuse player, but he's a great Syracuse fan and supporter," noted men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim, who was an undergrad at the University at the same time as Little. "He's the most loyal former player we have. He's always been there for us. I told Daryl (Dr. Gross) he's the best person he's ever hired. If Daryl had hired me, he'd still be the best guy he's hired because he's perfect to come back and help us."
Little's wife, DeBorah, a native of Syracuse, joined him at the press conference.
Gross also introduced Chris Gedney as senior associate athletics director for development/Orange Club and Marc Donabella as associate athletics director/director of marketing. Gedney, an All-American tight end for the Orange who played in the NFL, was promoted from associate athletics director. Donabella, a graduate of Liverpool High School who attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges as a football student-athlete, had been employed in the University Bookstore and Auxiliary Services.
