Frank Gore Sr. once had aspirations of playing with his son. Unfortunately, when you play running back, that’s going to be just about impossible. However, he sure came close, retiring after the 2020 season at 37 years old. Now, his son of the same name looks to continue his father’s legacy.
Longevity and Consistency Defined Frank Gore Sr.’s Pro Bowl Career
Running back is one of the more physically grueling positions in any team sport. Multiple times a game, they are given the ball and are asked to navigate through 11 ferocious defenders looking to take them down by any means necessary — usually, but not always, within the parameters of the rules.
This inevitably leads to many injuries, with most running backs having short pro careers that end unceremoniously as they limp off into the sunset.
Since 2010, there has not been a star running back who remained effective for more than seven seasons. Some might say they were just “built different” back in the day.
Drafted way back in 2005, Gore spent a whopping 16 years in the NFL. Arguably more impressive than his nice-and-even 16,000 yards rushing, trailing only Hall of Famers Walter Payton (16,726) and Emmitt Smith (18,355), is the fact that he played 241 games.
Gore missed 15 games in his career. That’s an average of less than one per season. From 2012-17, Gore didn’t miss a single game. The latter five of those seasons occurred after he turned 30. Gore was a true iron man.
Initially drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, Gore spent a decade there, racking up 11,073 yards and scoring 64 touchdowns. All five of his Pro Bowl seasons (2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013) came in San Francisco, including a second-team All-Pro season in 2006 when he rushed for a career-high 1,695 yards.
The elder Gore started every game in 2012 and had the privilege of playing in a Super Bowl. Although he ran for 110 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl 47, the 49ers fell short to the Baltimore Ravens, 34-31. He played two more seasons in San Francisco before moving on.
The next phase of Gore’s career occurred in Indianapolis. He spent three years playing alongside a young Andrew Luck from 2015-17.
After rushing for over 1,000 yards in eight of his final nine seasons with the 49ers (and it would’ve been 9-for-9 had he not missed five games in 2010), Gore had just one 1,000-yard season with the Colts.
MORE: Top RBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Of course, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise, as Gore was already 32 years old by the time he joined the team. With most running backs done by their late 20s, Gore was a true outlier in his longevity.
After the Colts, Gore probably should’ve retired. But he wanted to keep playing, and given his brand equity, teams kept signing him.
Gore bounced around three different teams for each of his final three years in the league. He played one season for his hometown team, the Miami Dolphins (2018), one with the Buffalo Bills (2019), and finally, one with the New York Jets (2020). He started 14 games at the age of 37, his final year, gaining 653 yards and scoring twice.
Frank Gore Jr. Is a Chip off the Old Block
In the middle of Gore Sr.’s collegiate career with the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (2001-04), his son, Frank Gore Jr., was born on March 13, 2002. Gore Sr. tore his ACL around the same time in spring practice of 2002, forcing him to sit out the 2002 season. He recovered and played two more seasons with the Hurricanes before being taken in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Gore Jr. was afforded a rare opportunity to witness the bulk of his father’s playing career at an age at which he could comprehend it. Those lessons took hold of him, and he was able to carve out a path in football for himself.
The junior Gore played quarterback and receiver in high school but switched to running back full-time at the start of his collegiate career with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in 2020. He was second-team All-Conference USA in 2020 and honorable mention in 2021 while earning first-team All-Sun Belt in 2022 and second-team honors in 2023 after the Eagles switched conferences.
While his skills toting the rock are what earned him those accolades and attention from NFL scouts, Gore Jr. was called upon to dust off his old throwing arm from time to time. He completed 17 of 35 passes for 368 yards with seven touchdowns and a pick with the Golden Eagles.
His biggest performance came in the LendingTree Bowl against Rice in 2022. He led the Eagles to a 38-24 win over the Owls, setting an FBS bowl game record for rushing yards with 328. He also accounted for three touchdowns, two rushing and one passing.
That wasn’t even his latest bowl game MVP award; he took home the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl MVP. He did a nice job raising his draft stock in the showcase, rushing for a game-high 87 yards on six carries, including a 49-yard touchdown run.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Combine Results
“I know there’s a lot of questions about me because I’m from a small school, so I had a chip on my shoulder to come in and sort of prove to everyone that I belonged,” Gore Jr. said to CBS.
Gore Jr. went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft but signed with the Buffalo Bills practice squad at the conclusion of the preseason. He was elevated to the active roster for the first time in Week 6 before the Bills’ “Monday Night Football” game against the Jets.
We’ve elevated RB Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad for tonight’s game. #BUFvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/NM5Hm5GqwJ
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 14, 2024
On the sideline to witness Gore Jr.’s Shrine Bowl touchdown was the now-retired Gore Sr. After watching his dad take on defenses for nearly two decades, it’s Gore Jr.’s turn to put on a show.
