One day Benjamin Lee Little, Jr. nicknamed BJ, walked into the coaches' offices and saw he was listed as the No. 2 middle linebacker depth chart. That could not stand. It motivated Little to work even harder. He did extra pushups, extra steps and honed his craft. Little went on to start every football game North Carolina A&T played during his time in Aggieland from 1997-2000.
His 46 career starts were impactful. He was a two-time Sports Network second-team All-American (1999, 2000), a two-time Don Hansen third-team All-American (1999, 2000). Little earned first-team All-MEAC honors in 1999 and second-team honors in 2000. Along the way, he also secured five MEAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades and was named National Player of the Week following a win over Norfolk State in 2000.
Little helped the Aggies put together one of the best seasons in school history. In 1999, the Aggies won what was at the time a school-record 11 wins while also winning the Black College National Championship and the MEAC title with an 8-0 mark. The 1999 team also secured the school's first and only playoff win, a 16-3 triumph over Tennessee State.
Little contributed to the '99 by leading the team in tackles. Led by Little, the Aggies were ranked third in the nation in total defense. The defense only allowed 169 points in 13 games.
In 2000, he led the team in sacks and finished in the league in sacks as the Aggies finished fifth nationally in total defense. When Little completed his eligibility, his class was the most successful in school history before that mark was broken by the 2017 senior class at N.C. A&T.
After college, he began teaching English and coaching high school linebackers at Richmond Senior High School and Union High School in South Carolina where they won a state championship. He went on to coach six more years.
Little is married to Bridget Little.
