tales from the Broncos sidelinesIn honor of his new book, Tales From the Broncos Sidelines, being released, Floyd Little recently took some time to answer select questions submitted by the fans from BroncosFreak.com. What follows is part 2 of 3:

Mclark: Which Bronco teammate did you admire the most? Who was the best football player of all your Bronco teammates?
I played with a lot of great players. Billy Thompson was incredible. Rich Jackson was a beast and there are many others who I admire greatly. But, I’d say Charley Johnson was the guy I admired the most. He was in his 12th season when he arrived in Denver and was this tremendous leader who had never got the recognition he deserved. He quickly solidified the quarterback position here after years of having no stability. He took charge in the huddle and we all felt like we could win any game as long as he was taking the snaps. I just wish he had arrived earlier. I was already 30 when John Ralston traded for him in ’72. We both retired from the Broncos in 1975 and, as you’ll see in the book, he did something for me that I’ll never forget.

Studbucket: Thanks for adding to the history of the franchise and becoming one of the first Bronco Legends. Watching the runningbacks of today and the last 10 years, which current runningback reminds you most of yourself in terms of his build and running style?
I’d have to say Shaun Alexander of the Seahawks. Living in the Seattle-area, I get to watch him play a lot. I like what he brings to his team. Just like the Broncos had me do back in the day, he carries the load but he never stops running hard. He’s a passionate player and gives it everything he’s got. He’s respected by his teammates and does a lot in the Seattle community. He represents the kind of player that kids can look up to and is focused on doing what’s best for the team.

Studbucket: Did you have any football idols growing up? Or was there anyone you tried to pattern your play after?
Jim Brown was the man when I was growing up. We were all Browns fans and we lived in Connecticut! The Browns were a dominating team and Jim was the best player in the game. He was the first great runner at Syracuse to wear 44. After him came the great Ernie Davis. By some act of fate, I was fortunate enough to become the third celebrated back to wear 44 there. Jim and I had two different running styles. But I did try to pattern myself after him with his toughness and the way he played hard. Because of him and Ernie, I always tried to make the number 44 proud every time I pulled on my jersey. Over the years I’ve gotten to know Jim pretty well and we’ve become friends. When he agreed to write The Preface to my book I was overwhelmed with pride.

Quiettiger: What do you think of the current league rules? Do you think a more pass happy oriented type of football helps the game?
I don’t think so. There are too many rules to help the offense and hardly, if any rules, to even the field for the defense. I think it’s gone overboard and it takes away from the skills of a lot of talented players. The run-blocking and the passing game have a tremendous advantage now. There are a lot more facets to football than offensive fireworks. It’s a completely different game now.

If you enjoy hearing these stories, I’d encourage you to pick up the book, where Floyd goes more in depth on most of this material and much more. You can find part 1 here. Look for part 3 to be published on Wednesday, September 6.

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