The San Francisco 49ers have one of the richest histories in American professional sports. With five Superbowl titles to boast of, the Niners are one of the most prestigious franchises in the National Football League. Some Niners legends who have already made it to the Hall of Fame include Jerry Rice, Steve Young and “Golden” Joe Montana. And if you’ve been watching Frank Gore play, then you know there’s a good chance he’s heading there one day, too.
Gore was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the 49ers with the 65th pick. In his rookie season, Gore led the Niners in rushing with a total of 608 yards on 127 carries. He also had three touchdowns during that year. In addition to his career, Gore also showcased his receiving game by making 15 receptions for 131 yards. He became the first Niners rookie to lead the team in rushing since Dexter Carter in 1990.
Gore has consistently ranked among the top running backs in the league throughout his seven-year career. He has backed up this claim by being selected to three Pro Bowls (2006, 2009, 2011) and having four consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards. However, despite Gore’s consistency on the field, he had to shoulder the burden of being part of a struggling team.
For most of the 2000s, the Niners were one of the worst teams in the league and had never made the playoffs since 2002. Gore was the focal point of the team’s offense, but his efforts proved futile as the Niners continued to fail again and again. It wasn’t until the 2011 season that things started to turn around for the Niners as they were finally able to make the playoffs after 10 long seasons of failure.
The Niners were able to make it far into the playoffs with Gore playing a big role in their offense. He performed well during their divisional round matchup against the Saints when he rushed for 42 yards, which helped the team set up a touchdown. He would rush for 89 yards against the New York Giants during the NFC Championship game, but his Niners would come up short, as the Giants would beat them 20-17.
Yet despite this, Frank Gore showed he could carry his high-level game well into the postseason and there is no doubt that he will one day be remembered as a true beast for the 49ers franchise.
