The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 456

12D SUNDAY JULY 25 1993 THE MIAMI HERALD LONG WAIT OVER fHALtiORFAMElNDUCTEESf Where the great guard went football always followed LOTS OF PULL almost revolutionized the pulling guard in the says Larry Little who joined the Chargers as a free agent in 1967 and received a $750 signing bonus He was obtained by the Dolphins for defensive back Mack Lamb Miami Herald File Photo NO 1: The euphoria of beating the Chiefs in 1971 in longest game Is still with Larry Little Facts about the five men who will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton Ohio: LARRY UTTLE DOLPHINS GUARD Teams: Miami (1969-80) and San Diego (1967-68) Highlights: A fixture at right guard (6-1 265) during the Dolphins' glory years in early 1970s Famous for pulling out and leading sweeps almost revolutionized the pulling guard in the Little says Signed with Chargers as a free agent out of Bethune-Cookman Was acquired by Dolphins in a trade fqr DB Mack Lamb his former teammate at Booker Washington High Played 183 games Had streaks of 64 and 51 startg with the Dolphins Elected in eighth year of eligibility College: Bethune-Cookman Age: 47 Bom: Groveland Ga Presenter Don Shula DAN FOUTS CHARGERS QUARTERBACK Team: San Diego Chargers 1 973-87) Highlights: Battled injuries much of hn career but completed 3297 passes for 4304t yards and 254 touchdowns One of onlf three passers to throw for more than 4000f yards First to pass for 400 yards in consectj-tive games Played in six Pro Bowls and was Player of the Year in 1982 Set NFL records for most 300-yard passing games wi 51 and most 3000-yard seasons with six Ha out three straight 4000-yard passing seasons frefn 1979-81 Elected in first year of eligibility College: Oregon Age: 42 Bom: San Francisco Presenter Don Coryell who coached Fouts at San Diegc career totals Comp Att Yds TD Int 3297 5604 43040 254 242 Here are Larry Little's favorite victories as both a player and a coach with a comment from Little on why each is so memorable 1 Dolphins 27 Kansas City 24 Dec 25 1971 The Longest Game incredible thing to be a part Little said 2 Dolphins 14 Washington 7 Jan 14 1973: Super Bowl 7 and the game that clinched 17-0 "We all knew we were part of something very Little said 3 Bethune-Cookman 31 FAMU 27 Nov 23 1985: played Florida A for a few years because of a money dispute so this was the first time I faced them as a 4 Dolphins 21 Pittsburgh 17 Dec 31 1972: The AFC championship game that took the Dolphins to 16-0 "The Steelers were the new kids on the block but it wasn't their turn 5 Bethune-Cookman 24 SC State 23 Oct 20 1984 "SC State had been dominant in our conference Mid-Eastern Athletic) and this pushed us toward the 1984 conference 6 Bethune-Cookman 25 FAMU 0 Nov 26 1988: "FAMU was always a big rival and this helped us get a share of the conference that year" The victory helped Bethune share the MEAC title I IHALtlFACTSI LITTLE FROM 10 someone in the Temptations or the Spinners or the Four Tops the groups who sang the music Little still listens to because least you can understand what Little 47 doesn't enjoy the rap music that his four children try to foist on him The thumping beats are all right he says but once the rappers start doing their stuff and Little figure out what they are saying he wants to shut it off Little always wants to know the words Twice snubbed That sort of hammering directness is what Shula has given Little over and over as the lives have intersected over the past 23 years Little badly wanted to coach the offensive line this season He called Shula in January But Shula who was instrumental in Little getting a plum head-coaching job with the World Ohio Glory said he was going to hire Kim Helton the LA offensive line coach instead Then Helton quit in May for the head-coaching job at the University of Houston Little had gotten a job in the meantime as head coach of Division II North Carolina-Central in Durham NC making $70000 a year But he would have left that in a second had Shula selected him Instead Shula hired Rich McGeorge the University of offensive line coach as an assistant line coach and reinstated John Sandusky as his head line coach has always been a head coach but he has never been an offensive line position coach on a daily Shula says wanted someone who had experience coaching the offensive line 1 think that caused any sort of problem Larry has a good job now and he is a very good man 1 just wanted to go in a different snubbed him and Larry was really upset about says Mercury Morris the former Dolphin who is one of closest friends still he picked Shula to induct him It took a big man to do I hold grudges" Little says stretching out on his couch if Shula want me fine In that case I want to be there I would have done a hell of a job for him but not going to happen So be it his team He can do what he wants He still is the one who had more to do with my success in the NFL than anyone Too Shula was the one who glared at Little in their first meeting at a luncheon to introduce Shula as the new head coach in 1970 Shula bother with a hello "How much do you he asked sizing up Little disapprovingly Little said Shula said Little lost the weight as Shula instructed fainting in practice once because of his diet but molding himself into a 265-pound guard who could run like a fullback Larry Csonka says he had to hang onto jersey occasionally just to keep up with him Little grew up in Overtown within walking distance of the Orange Bowl where he would eventually star He went to high school at now-closed Booker Washington in Miami and then became a hometown hero during the glory years of the early 1970s He flattened anyone in his path shamed anyone who played outside the rules to get around Larry Little is like trying to throw a paper airplane through a former Washington defensive end Ron McDole once said i first time I faced him was in an exhibition game in Jacksonville in says Joe Greene the defensive line coach was holding me I know he was and so one time when he was down 1 kicked him Real i Little got up looked at Greene End shook his head in disbelief 'Joe Joe he said spreading his hands wide never felt so guilty again on a football Greene says TThe rest of the times we played each other he never held me and 1 never kicked I sweeping revolution Little's specialty was pulling out and leading the sweep He is very proud of this saying he pulling guards In the NFL had the knack for Shula says would wait until the defensive man committed and then he would bury What: Hall of Fame inductions When: Saturday 11:15 am Where: Canton Ohio on the front steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Who: Five inductees Larry Little Dan Fouts Walter Payton Bill Walsh and Chuck Noll They will be presented alphabetically so Little will go second Presenter for Little: Don Shula Dolphins now in Hall: Larry Csonka Bob Griese Jim Langer and Paul War-field TV: Highlights will be shown during telecast of the Green Bay-LA Raiders Hall of Fame exhibition game starting at 3 pm Eastern ESPN plans an hour-long special on the enshrinement at 8:30 pm Saturday CHUCK NOLU STEELERS COACH Teams: Head coach of Pittsburgh Sjee-1-'f lers (1969-91) Cleveland Browns guard-ne-' back0r (1 953-59) Highlights: Only coach to win four iper Bowls One of Paul guards for Cleveland in 1950s Had 1 Spin ning seasons out of his final 20 wit i the Stealers Ended his 23-year coaching career in 991 with a 209-156-1 overall record His 16-8 postseason mark includes victories in the 1974 75 79 and 79 Super Bowls Ranks sixth all-time in coaching victories Assistant coach on Don Baltimore Colts staff from 1966-68 Elected in first year of eligibility College: Dayton Age: 61 Bom: Cleveland Presenter: Dan Rooney Steelers president coaching record Regular season Playoffs ToUli 209-156-1 WAITER PAYTON BEARS RUNNING BACK Team: Chicago Bears (1975-87) Highlights: first-round draft pick in 1975 Retired as all-time leading rusher with 16726 yards and 110 rushing TDs Amassed a record 21803 all-purpose yards Other records include 10 seasons with 1000 or more yards rushing 275 yards rushing in one game 77 games with more than 100 yards rushing Named All-Pro seven times played In Pavt nine Pro Bowls and was selected NFL most valu- rayron able payer jn 1977 and 1935 elected in first year of eligibility College: Jackson State Age: 39 Bom: Columbia Miss Presenter: Jarrett Payton 12-year-old son This will be the first time a son has presented his father career totals Usually the defensive man on sweeps was someone smaller than Little a defensive back or a linebacker This led to some griping from time to time "Larry Little made his reputation running over small Otis Sistrunk the Oakland defensive lineman growled once But Greene already a Hall of Famer himself says that true forget that he was a great pass Greene says guys I could just go through but he was too big for that And he was too quick to go career take off until Shula arrived in Miami in 1970 He was undrafted out of Bethune-Cookman in 1967 and joined San Diego as a free agent for a signing bonus of $750 Little was overweight throughout his two years at San Diego which unusual for him was always a very husky child and mischievous too although he never did anything too says Ida Little mother She raised six children along with her former husband George three boys and three girls including Larry the second-oldest and David who now plays for Pittsburgh The oldest son George Franklin Little was shot and killed on his 30th birthday in Miami in 1971 No one was ever convicted of the crime The subject still brings silence and pain when mentioned in the Little household for Little picked up the nickname after eating two halfchicken platters at a San Diego restaurant in front of a couple of wide-eyed teammates Chargers Coach Sid Gillman knew Little had talent as well as an appetite but Figure out how to get to him He actually tried Little at fullback briefly but grew frustrated with him motivate Gill-man said at the time I stand the man who be Gillman finally gave up and traded Little for his former high school teammate Mack Lamb nothing-for-nothing Gillman called it He was halfright Lamb quickly drifted out of the NFL Little had one decent season with the Dolphins before Shula arrived then flowered earning All-Pro honors six times and developing minor addictions to soap operas and cigarettes He still watches All My Children and One Life to Live almost every weekday and smokes a pack of cigarettes a day wish I had never started Little says really do But those are my only It took Little eight tries to make the Hall of Fame where he will become the third offensive guard inducted after Gene Upshaw and John Hannah Little made the final 1 5 four times but rink with partner and former Dolphin Nat Moore That work fad came and the fad Little says He became athletic director at Edison High then was hired by his alma mater Bethune-Cookman as head coach in 1983 The pay was only $25000 which sound like much for a man who had once made $200000 in a single football season and could command $2 million in market But Little loved coaching loved the feeling that are coming in here as boys and leaving as men with He used some of his own ideas borrowed some more from Shula The 12-minute endurance run which Little hated as a player has become a part of routine as a coach though I like it I never said it good for says Little Little stayed at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach for nine seasons winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference outright in 1984 and getting a share of the title in 1988 His overall record was 43-49-2 before he resigned under pressure in 1991 A hand from Shula Shula helped him then recommending him for the job with the Ohio Glory After the World League folded Little was out of a job again The news of his Hall of Fame election came the same week that Shula told him he was going to hire Helton as the offensive line coach Little landed at NC Central in late May grabbing a three-year contract and says he would be happy to stay in Durham living the small-college life for 20 years sick of moving he says times in 1 8 months I ever want to see another truck I have to be in the NFL to be happy already been to that Little will use next weekend as an excuse to gather all of his family and friends for a reunion At least 60 probably will be in Canton including everyone in his immediate family except brother David who will be playing in an exhibition game with Pittsburgh in Barcelona Spain After a morning parade through the streets of Canton Ohio at 7:30 am Saturday Little will hold a news conference at 9 am and get inducted at 11:15 am His wife Rosie his children his mother and the rest of his family and friends will party with him Saturday night should be the ultimate Little says nothing that ever wanted more than the Hall of Fame We had an exhibition game once in Canton with the Dolphins in 1978J But I didn't really like being there without being in the Hall I said never go back until I did get in Now finally getting to go And taking Shula with me SILL WALSH 49ERS COACH each time was nudged out in the voting by 30 veteran sports writers often by a glamour-position player or a notable head coach Four to seven people make the Hall of Fame each year and each of those must be given a vote by at least 80 percent of the electors Herald Sports Editor Edwin Pope who has a Hall of Fame vote and has campaigned for Little for years predicts that Dolphins center Dwight Stephenson will join Little Bob Griese Larry Csonka Paul Warfield and Jim Langer as the Hall of Famers within a year or two "It took awhile to make it but I never gave up Little says I guess they will have to put me up on the Honor Roll at Joe Robbie That is as close as Little a proud man who enjoys recognition will get to slamming the Dolphins It irritates him that linebacker Nick Buoniconti made it onto the Honor Roll before he did is not in the Hall is Little asks knowing the answer The Dolphins plan to amend the Little omission Little will be put on the wall either this year or the says Harvey Greene the director of public relations put Buoniconti up there because there was no one from the defense at the time and we thought it deserved some recognition But Larry will make it soon Some men follow Some men lead Little quickly decided that he would stay a leader even after he could no longer pilot a sweep for Csonka or Morris Thus he has never really had a life after football The game has stayed with him ever since he retired in 1980 after 14 seasons and opened a Miami roller-skating Team: Head coach of San Francisci 49ers (1979-88) Highlights: Led 49ers to 102-63-1 record and victories in 1981 and Super Bowls NFL Coach of the Year in 1981 and NFC coach of the year in 1984 49ers won at least 10 games and appeared in the playoffs seven of his final eight seasons Credited yrith molding such players as Ken Anderson Dan' Fouts and Joe Montana into outstanding quarterbacks Served as assistant coach with the Raiders Bengals and Chargers and was head coach at Stanford before he joined the 49ers Returned to Stanford as head coach in 1992 Elected in fourth year of eligibility College: San Jose State Age: 61 Bom: Los Angeles Presenter Edward DeBartolo Jr owner of 49ers coaching record W-L-T 92-59-1 10-4-0 Pet '603 714 Regular season Playoffs total 102-63-1 617 I.