This post is sponsored by Labatt Blue Light, who invites you to visit RefreshmentDuo.com, where you can enter to win a ticket for you and a friend to attend a massive concert and party with the Refreshment Duo and Blue Light girls.
Labatt Blue Light asked to sponsor a post about Syracuse Orangemen who stand out as magnificently (albeit not as attractively) as the Blue Light Refreshment Duo. A lot of memorable ones came to mind. There's The Louie & Bouie Show. The Gait Brothers. And then I thought of one that I think gets overlooked through SU history. A duo that has to go down as the best backfield in the history of Syracuse football. If only one of them were playing for Syracuse at the time it would have been great, but to have both of them at the same time for two seasons was simply amazing.
Little played for SU between 1964 and 1966 and his impact was immediate. A three-time All-American and proud wearer of #44, Little shattered the records set by his heroes, Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. He rushed for over 2,700 yards and scored 44 touchdowns in three seasons, not only as a RB but also as a receiver, kick returner, punt returner and even as a passer.
Unfortunately for Little, his rushing records would not stand long. Larry Csonka, whom Little had played alongside the previous two seasons, would shatter them in 1967. Csonka rushed for over 2,900 yards and finished as the fifth-leading rusher in the nation his senior season. Not bad for a fullback.
Csonka and Little are both among the top ten all-time in carries for SU, another stat that's mind-boggling given their shared backfield and the success both encountered. Both players also went on to have Hall of Fame careers in the NFL and faces of their franchises.
Syracuse football is always looking for its next great running back. Greatness can be so few and far between. That the Orange had a backfield with two of its greatest running backs at the same time is something worth remembering and something we might not ever see again.
