Little was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. At the age of 12, his father died. His mother remarried when Jack was a senior in high school and moved to Washington, D.C. Jack and his older brother, Gene, remained in Corpus Christi. His brother received a scholarship to play football at Rice University. In high school, Little was a second-team All-District football player.
Playing career
Although Little enrolled at the University of Houston as a freshman, he did not attend any classes or played football there. Intimidated by the three-a-day practices that Houston held, Little and a high school friend escaped to Texas A&M. Little tried out for the football team, only because head coachHarry Stiteler was impressed by his toughness, determination, and intelligence. Little lettered in football at Texas A&M from 1950–52. In 1950, he was part of an A&M squad that led the Southwest Conference in total offense, and played in the Presidential Cup. Little made two All-America first teams during his college years, one as a junior in 1951 and another as a senior in 1952. He also named an All-SWC lineman the same years. He also made the distinguished students list during his senior year for his academic performance. He was ultimately inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. In the 1953 NFL Draft, Little was selected in the 5th round by the Baltimore Colts. He played two seasons for the Colts before a back injury ended his playing career.
After his brief stint in the NFL, Little became an assistant football coach for Texas A&I. He was subsequently offered another assistant job by Baylor University head coach John Bridgers. Little accepted the position in 1963, and helped lead the Bears to an 8–3–0 record and a No. 20 finish in the national Coaches Poll. Little served as a coaching assistant at Baylor until 1968, when Bridgers was fired. Little remained for a brief period at Baylor, working in the school's outdoor education program. Little later became an assistant for Sam Houston State University. He quit the coaching profession after another back injury. He then worked for Texas' parole system for 17 years before retiring in 1996.
Personal
Little married his wife Nancy in 1950, which was at the end of his freshman year. They soon had the first of their two daughters by the time he left Texas A&M. His oldest daughter eventually received a doctorate degree from the school.
