In a few days, the 39 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee will nominate former players, coaches, owners and administrators to be considered for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. And unless the committee does something differently this year, it will again pass over Floyd Little, one of the greatest running backs in the history of professional football. If this annual snub is not rectified, perhaps they should consider changing the name from the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the Pro Football Hall of Shame.

Little, the former Denver Broncos star, has been waiting for his number to be called in Canton since 1981 – the mandatory five years after he hung up his cleats. When he walked off the field after nine seasons in Denver, he was the seventh-leading NFL rusher with 6,323 yards and 43 touchdowns. He was an All-Pro selection five times. He joined Denver after making the All-American team three consecutive years at Syracuse and shattering many of the records set by NFL great Jim Brown and Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

In 1967 and 1968, Little led the NFL in combined yardage. In 1970, he led the AFC in rushing. In 1971, he led the NFL with 1,133 yards while playing on a last-place team. He was 5 feet 10 and 195 pounds – light by today’s standards – but was a threat running from scrimmage and excelled in pass receiving and returning punts.

All-Pro Linebacker Jack Ham of the Pittsburgh Steelers told one reporter: “He was a rare back who could do everything well – even block. He’s the most complete back I ever played against.”

One reason Little may have been overlooked by Hall of Fame voters is that he played on losing teams. In the pre-John Elway days, Denver had some great players – Lionel Taylor, Randy Gradishar, Abner Haynes, among others – but did not have a winning season until 1973. Of the original eight members of the old American Football League, Denver had the poorest record (39-97-4).

Even though it took years for the Broncos to shed their losing ways, Denver was the scene of NFL history. Denver was the first AFL team to defeat an NFC team (Detroit Lions on Aug. 5, 1967). In 1968, rookie Marlin Briscoe became the first Black starting quarterback in the modern era and Gene Mingo was the first Black place-kicker in the NFL. Little, John Elway and Frank Tripucka are the only Broncos to have their jerseys retired. Elway is the only former Denver player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame selection is done in two stages. Sports writers make the initial nominations. Each NFL city gets one vote except New York, which gets two votes because it has two teams. Anyone can nominate a player and the player is eligible for induction after being away from the game for five years. In the second stage, the committee makes final selections the day before the Super Bowl. A nominee must receive 80 percent of that vote. But Little hasn’t made it that far.

And it’s not because of the numbers. There are eight running backs in the Hall of Fame with fewer yards. Of almost 40 running backs inducted, Little has better stats than more than half of them.

If Little is passed over again, he’ll be in good company. Dallas won five Super Bowls, but has only five players in the Hall of Fame. Bob Hayes, Lee Roy Jordan, Rayfield Wright, Too Tall Jones, Drew Pearson and Harvey Martin have yet to be inducted. Former Oakland Raider Coach John Madden’s winning percentage of .750 (103-32-7) is best among coaches on the sidelines for at least a decade and he, too, has yet to be enshrined in Canton.

The longer Floyd Little and these greats are overlooked, the less chance they have of being selected. The bylaws were amended in 2003 to reduce the maximum number of Hall of Fame inductees from seven to six. The seniors committee, in charged of picking pre-1979 players, submits only two names each year to be voted on. The final selection takes place on the eve of Super Bowl, with enshrinement ceremonies scheduled for the following August.

Of more than 120,000 NFL players, less than 250 have been accorded the sport’s highest honor. Floyd Little belongs in that select company.