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== Early life ==
Little was born in Groveland, Georgia, on November 2, 1945, the second of six children. The family moved to [[Florida]] and he grew up in [[Miami]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Don |date=1993 |title=Larry Little |url=https://profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/15-04-528.pdf |journal=The Coffin Corner |volume=15 |issue=4}}</ref> His mother was his greatest influence.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Behind the Bronze: Larry Little {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2010/12/news-behind-the-bronze-larry-little/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=pfhof |language=en}}</ref> As a child, his favorite team was the [[Baltimore Colts]].<ref name=":1" /> He attended [[Booker T. Washington Senior High School (Miami, Florida)|Booker T. Washington Senior High School]] in Miami, where he played football as a [[Two-way player|two-way]] lineman.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosa |first=Poch de la |date=2023-01-19 |title=The Life And Career Of Larry Little (Story) |url=https://www.profootballhistory.com/larry-little/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Pro Football History |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Larry Little (2023) - Florida High School Athletic AssociationHall of Fame |url=https://fhsaa.com/hof.aspx?hof=246 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=fhsaa.com |language=en}}</ref> He has been inducted into the Booker T. Washington High School Hall of Fame.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=About Larry Little |url=https://www.larrylittle.org/about |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Larry Little Gold Coast Summer Camp |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2023, he was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.<ref name=":6" />
==College career==
Little played for the [[Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football|Bethune–Cookman Wildcats]] from 1964 to 1967 on the team's offensive and defensive
==Professional career==
Little went undrafted in [[1967 NFL draft|1967]]. After the draft, he received free agent offers from Miami, San Diego, and Baltimore.
Future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach [[Don Shula]] became the Dolphins' head coach in 1970.<ref name=":4" /> Among other things, he helped Little control his weight.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> 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.<ref name=":2" />
Little was a key contributor to the success of the Dolphins' punishing running attack of the early and mid-1970s, which featured [[Larry Csonka]], [[Mercury Morris]], and [[Jim Kiick]]. Shula, a coach on the [[NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team|NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL 100 |url=https://www.nfl.com/100/all-time-team/roster |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref> said Little played a major role in the Dolphins success as both a pass blocker and run blocker.<ref name=":2" /> 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<ref>{{Cite web |title=1972 Miami Dolphins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1972.htm |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>). The Dolphins' rushing average per year in the 1970s (2,372 yards rushing per year) led the NFL in that decade.<ref name=":2" /> Little played under offensive line coach [[Monte Clark]], whom Little acknowledged at his Hall of Fame induction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clark, ex-Lions coach and longtime NFL assistant, dead at 72 |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/clark-ex-lions-coach-and-longtime-nfl-assistant-dead-at-72-09000d5d812b0f37 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2" />
In 1973, he became to first guard to be paid a $100,000 annual salary.<ref name=":4" />
From 1971 through 1975, Little was named first team [[All-Pro]] five times, and again in 1977; and was second team All-Pro in 1978 (and named second team in 1977 by the [[Associated Press]] and [[United Press International]]).<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Larry Little Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LittLa00.htm |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was All-AFC five times.<ref name=":2" /> He appeared in five straight NFL [[Pro Bowl|Pro Bowls]] from 1971 to 1975, and appeared in the [[1969 AFL All-Star Game]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Larry Little - Future Football Legends |url=https://futurefootballlegends.com/Player/Larry_Little/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=futurefootballlegends.com}}</ref> He was named the National Football League Players Association's AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times (1970-1972).<ref name=":2" /> He was named to the [[NFL 1970s All-Decade Team]] at guard, along with [[Joe DeLamielleure]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1970s - OFFENSE {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2010/01/news-nfl-s-all-decade-team-of-the-1970s-offense/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=pfhof |language=en}}</ref>
==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.<ref name=":0" /> He was head coach at [[North Carolina Central University]] (NCCU) from 1993 to 1998. At least four of his NCCU players, [[Shawn Gibbs (American football)|Shawn Gibbs]], [[Adrian Jones (American football coach)|Adrian Jones]], [[Trei Oliver]], and [[Dawson Odums]] went on to become college football coaches.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Berry |first=Mia |date=2022-12-12 |title=Coaching legacy, brotherhood took root at North Carolina Central under Hall of Famer |url=https://andscape.com/features/coaching-legacy-brotherhood-took-root-at-north-carolina-central-under-hall-of-famer/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Andscape |language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, Little served as head coach of the [[Ohio Glory]] of the [[World League of American Football]] (which eventually became the now-defunct [[NFL Europe]]), for one year.<ref name=":4" />
In 1993, Little was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]], with the NFL's all-time winning coach Don Shula<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL 100 |url=https://www.nfl.com/100/originals/100-greatest/game-changers-30 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref> as his presenter.<ref name=":2" /> In 2013, he was inducted into [[Black College Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-08 |title=Larry Little's Prime Time Was 38 Years Ago |url=https://bcuathletics.com/news/2021/5/8/larry-little.aspx |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Bethune-Cookman University Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=2013-01-16 |title=Larry Little to Enter Black College Football Hall of Fame |url=https://bcuathletics.com/story.aspx?filename=larry_little_to_enter_black_college_football_hall_of_fame&file_date=1-16-2013 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Bethune-Cookman University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> He has also been inducted into the Florida Black Colleges Football Hall of Fame, and the Bob Hayes Hall of Fame (2019).<ref name=":7" /> In 1978, he was inducted into the [[Florida Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Florida Sports Hall of Fame {{!}} Larry Little |url=https://flasportshof.org/fshofmember/larry-little/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |language=en-US}}</ref>
On December 16, 1993, Little was added to the [[The Miami Dolphin Honor Roll|Miami Dolphins Honor Roll]].<ref name=":5" /> In 2011, Little was among the inaugural class entering the Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Miami Dolphins Unveil Six Former Players to Walk of Fame {{!}} Miami Dolphins Communications Portal |url=https://media.miamidolphins.com/press_releases/miami-dolphins-unveil-six-former-players-to-walk-of-fame/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 1999, he was ranked number 79 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sporting News Top 100 Football Players|newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle|date=August 15, 1999|page=3D|access-date=November 10, 2016|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4376402/sporting_news_top_100_football_players/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=The Sporting News 100 Greatest Players of All-Time (1999) |url=https://futurefootballlegends.com/Sporting_News_100/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=futurefootballlegends.com}}</ref>▼
Miami's City Commission honored Little by naming a street after him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grossman |first=Hillard |date=2023-01-12 |title=Dolphins’ legend Larry Little has Miami street named after him by Miami City Commission |url=https://www.islandernews.com/news/dolphins-legend-larry-little-has-miami-street-named-after-him-by-miami-city-commission/article_10a40c24-92b7-11ed-8090-43c4b2059e95.html |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=IslanderNews.com {{!}} Locally Owned & Operated |language=en}}</ref>
▲In 1999, he was ranked number 79 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sporting News Top 100 Football Players|newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle|date=August 15, 1999|page=3D|access-date=November 10, 2016|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4376402/sporting_news_top_100_football_players/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Sporting News 100 Greatest Players of All-Time (1999) |url=https://futurefootballlegends.com/Sporting_News_100/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=futurefootballlegends.com}}</ref>
==Personal life==
During his playing career and after he had a boys camp for underprivileged children, the Gold Coast Summer Camp,<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Larry Little Gold Coast Summer Camp |url=https://www.larrylittle.org/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Larry Little Gold Coast Summer Camp |language=en-US}}</ref> eventually backed by the [[United Way]]. He was also listed in Who's Who in Black America.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
Little's younger brother, [[David Little (linebacker)|David Little]], was a linebacker for the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obituary: David Little / Former Steelers linebacker |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2005/03/22/Obituary-David-Little-Former-Steelers-linebacker/stories/200503220221 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |language=en}}</ref>
In 2007 was named to the [[FHSAA's All-Century Team|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.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" />
==Head coaching record==
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{{Commons}}
* {{Profootballhof|130}}
* [https://profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/15-04-528.pdf Larry Litte at Professional Football Researchers, Larry Little, Don Smith, The Coffin Corner 15(4) (1993)]{{Footballstats |nfl=larry-little |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=L/LittLa00 |rotoworld= }}
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