Lucky Number 44

Floyd Little will be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame this weekend. As a Syracuse alum, it’s always great to see another #44 get his place in history. For those who don’t bleed orange, here’s why #44 is special

I am strictly a casual SU fan – but I will always be thankful that a few of the best football players in school history also have a good sense of humor.

In 1989, I had been a reporter for student newspaper The Daily Orange for about two weeks.  A freshman who could barely find the Carrier Dome, I had been assigned to cover a football story. The editor didn’t tell me much, just that some old players were coming back. It sounded like a nice, sentimental feature, so off I went.

As soon as I arrived, I could tell something big was going on. I didn’t recognize one person in the room, but you could tell just by the way other people were acting – everyone was beaming, some even seemed nervous – that these weren’t ordinary players.  I had no idea.

But at least I knew I didn’t’ know!  I went over the SU pr person (boy I wish I remember who it was!) and confessed I was clueless. What else could I do? He laughed and said, “I can help.” I then got a personal introduction to each player.

That’s how I met Floyd Little, Jim Brown, and Don McPherson. They couldn’t have been nicer and each spent several minutes answering my dopey questions.

I learned great lessons that day. Mostly about not being afraid to look stupid – you’ve got to ask the questions if you don’t know the answers. Also, it’s a good idea to research the story before you head out to cover it.  But the best lesson? Nothing makes your sportscaster wanna-be friends at Newhouse jealous like getting close proximity to famous players.