Frank Gore

Frank Gore

Frank Gore signing a miniature football helmet.
San Francisco 49ers
Career information
College:	University of Miami
NFL draft:	2005 / Round: 3 / Pick: 65
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (2005-present)
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl selection (2006) All-Pro selection (2006) 2006 NFC Rushing Champion
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
Rushing yards: 4,441 Rushing average: 4.7 Rushing TDs: 22

Franklin Delano Gore (born May 14, 1983 in Coconut Grove, Florida) is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League.

College

As a true freshman for the University of Miami in 2001, Gore totaled 575 yards with 5 touchdowns on 62 carries (a 9.3-yard avg), the third-best season total in school history by a freshman and was named Sporting News' Big East Freshman of the Year. Gore suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee before spring practice in 2002 spent the following season recovering from knee surgery. He returned in 2003 and rushed for 100 yards in each of his first three games of the season. Gore returned for his senior year in 2004. His cousin, Kim Gibson, asked him to change his uniform number from #32 to #3 for better luck. He then ran for nearly 1,000 yards during the season..

In 28 games with the Miami Hurricanes, Gore rushed 380 times for 2,500 yards (a 7.2 rushing average) and 20 touchdowns. His 1,975 yards rank seventh on the school's career-record list and his seventeen scores are tied for tenth.

Gore had beat out Willis McGahee in the spring of 2002 at the starting running back position while at Miami before his injury.

NFL career

2005 NFL Draft

Gore was selected 65th overall in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the 49ers.

Pre-draft measureables
Wt	40y	20ss	3-cone	Vert	BP	Wonderlic
210 lb	4.65s	4.31s	7.41s	34 in	17	X

(* represents NFL Combine)

2005 season

Gore played in 14 games, starting one. He was inactive for two contests with a groin injury. He finished the season seventh among all NFL rookie running backs in rushing average with 4.8 average per run. He led the team in rushing with 608 yards on 127 carries and three rushing touchdowns. The last time a rookie led the 49ers in rushing was 1990, when Dexter Carter paced the team with 460 yards. His 608 yards rushing was the highest for a 49ers rookie since Roger Craig had 725 yards rushing in 1983. He caught 15 passes for 131 yards. He rushed for 17 yards on four carries and caught two passes for 21 yards in first professional action vs. the St. Louis Rams. He rushed for 42 yards on seven carries with a 5.4-yard average vs. the Dallas Cowboys. He led team with nine carries on 89 yards and recorded a career-long 72-yard touchdown run in fourth quarter at the Washington Redskins. The touchdown was the longest run from scrimmage by a 49ers player since running back Kevan Barlow took one 78 yards vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The touchdown run was fifth-longest run from scrimmage by a 49ers rookie. He led the team in rushing for the third straight week with 5 yards on 15 carries (.7 avg.) at the Chicago Bears, with a 19-yard long. He made his first NFL start and had over 100 combined yards with 79 yards rushing on 19 attempts for a 4.2 yard average at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also led team with three receptions for 57 yards. He then saw action at running back at St. Louis, rushing for 68 yards on 10 carries (6.8 avg.) and two touchdowns. He had his first two-touchdown game with a 10-yard scoring run in second quarter and had a 30-yard score in fourth quarter. Gore registered his first 100-yard game with 108 yards on 25 carries vs. the Houston Texans. He had major surgery on both shoulders after season was over.

2006 season

Gore was elevated to the top of the San Francisco 49ers' depth chart following the August 19, 2006 trade that shipped incumbent starter Kevan Barlow to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. He emerged as one of the top running backs in the NFL in his first full season as the starter. Gore carried the ball 312 times for a franchise record 1,695 yards, eclipsing Garrison Hearst’s 1998 record of 1,570 yards. He became the first member of the 49ers to lead the NFC in rushing yards. He also set a franchise record with 2,180 combined yards (1,695 yards rushing and 485 yards receiving), breaking Hearst’s single season record of 2,105 total yards (1,570 rushing and 535 receiving) set in 1998. His total placed him second in the NFC to Steven Jackson (1,528 rushing and 806 receiving, 2,334 total) and fourth overall in the entire NFL. In the 49ers’ first meeting against the Seattle Seahawks, Gore set the 49ers’ single-game rushing record by totaling 212 yards on 24 carries, besting the 201 yards by Charlie Garner on September 24, 2000 against the Cowboys. Gore had nine 100-yard rushing games in 2006, giving him ten for his career. His nine 100-yard games in 2006 shattered the franchise record for most 100-yard games in a season. Garrison Heart (1998) and Roger Craig (1988) each had six 100-yard games in a season. Gore was the first 49ers running back to have three-straight 100 yard games since Garrison Hearst had a 49ers-record four straight 100-yard games during a stretch in 1998. In those three weeks, Gore set the team record for most rushing yards in a three-game span.

His breakaway ability helped him finish the season with 5.4 yards per carry, placing him third in the entire NFL, behind only Michael Vick (8.4 YPC on 123 carries) and Maurice Jones-Drew (5.7 YPC on 166 carries). The 5.4 yards per carry are tied for the second best in 49ers history. Among players with over 300 carries, however, Gore’s season puts him in elite company. Very few times has a player averaged as many yards per carry as Gore did while carrying the ball over 300 times. The players ahead of him are all Hall of Famers and feature three, 2,000-yard rushing seasons (a fourth ranks right behind him).

He finished with eight rushing touchdowns, tied for the third most in a season by a 49er. Gore finished the season with 61 receptions, which led the team. Only two other teams had a running back as their leading receiver: New Orleans (Reggie Bush) and Philadelphia (Brian Westbrook). Of those, only Gore and Westbrook also led their team in rushing. He also caught his first receiving touchdown of his career at Seattle, when Alex Smith avoided a sack and found Gore along the left sideline for a 20-yard score. He led the NFL with 16 rushes for 20 or more yards. Gore earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice during the 2006 season. He grabbed the honor in Week 5 after rushing for 134 yards on 27 carries, and catching 3 passes for 38 yards, against the Oakland Raiders. He also won in Week 11 after his franchise record 212 rushing yards, and 26 yards on 4 receptions, against Seattle. After Gore’s tremendous season, he was named the starting running back to the NFC Pro Bowl team. It was Gore’s first selection to the Pro Bowl.

Gore had benefited that season from the tutelage of then-offensive coordinator Norv Turner, whose offensive scheme places a heavy emphasis on running the football.

Though Gore had fumbling problems at the beginning of the season, losing the ball once in each of the first four games, he improved his carrying and only fumbled three more times the rest of the year.

2007 season

Gore in action against the St. Louis Rams in 2007

Gore signed a contract extension through 2011 estimated to be worth $28 million over four years on March 28, 2007. He also stated that it is his goal to surpass Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record in 2007. He said that he would gain 2,200 yards.

Gore broke a bone in his hand in the non-contact Training Camp drill on July 30 and missed the entire preseason. On September 13, Gore's mother died, due to a kidney disease. He missed a practice, but returned to the team and scored two touchdowns the following Sunday in a 17-16 win over the St. Louis Rams. Gore's best game came against the Arizona Cardinal where he came up with 116 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,102 rushing yards and 436 receiving yards.

2008 season

Frank Gore started off the 2008 season vs the Arizona Cardinals he rushed for 96 yards on only 14 carries. He had a 41 yard touchdown run, but even with his valiant effort the 49ers lost. Then in Week 3, Frank Gore dominated the Detroit Lions rushing over 120 yards and a touchdown in a 31-13 victory. The following against the Saints Gore outplayed Reggie Bush although the 49ers were defeated. Then in week 6, Gore had his second 100 yard game of the season as he rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries in a 40-26 defeat vs the Eagles. Gore is currently third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage. In week 17 vs. the Washington Redskins, Gore became the first RB in 49ers history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in 3 straight seasons.

Statistics

					Rushing:					Receiving:
Year	Ag	Tm	G	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
2005	22	SF	14	1	127	608	4.8	72	3	15	131	8.7	47	0
2006	23	SF	16	16	312	1,695	5.4	72	8	61	485	8.0	39	1
2007	24	SF	15	15	260	1,102	4.2	43	5	53	436	8.2	23	1
2008	25	SF	14	14	240	1,063	4.3	41	6	43	373	8.7	26	2
Totals:			59	46	939	4,441	4.7	72	22	172	1,425	8.3	47	4
Stats through the 2007 season.

External links

Profiles

• NFLPlayers.com
• Yahoo! Sports