In the spring of 2005, the San Francisco 49ers used a third-round pick on a running back with a history of knee injuries who they hoped would hold up and fulfill his promise.
Sixteen NFL seasons and 16,000 rushing yards later, Frank Gore most surely held up in one of the most productive careers for a running back in league history.
After all those yards and all those autumns, Gore is signing a one-day contract with the 49ers to officially retire as the NFL's third all-time leading rusher, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
The Niners later announced Gore's signing, subsequent retirement and that he would be inducted to the 49ers Hall of Fame.
"One of the very first things I told the 49ers organization when they drafted me in 2005 was that they got the right guy," Gore said in a stement from the team. "I knew early on that I wouldn't let my college career define me in regards to injuries, and that I would have to outwork a lot of people to get to where I wanted to be. After 10 years in San Francisco and 16 years in the NFL, I can confidently say that I put all I had into the game of football. Football was and is everything to me. From meetings and film study to practice and just being in the locker room, all of it meant the world to me. I am happy to officially close this chapter of my life and proud of what I was able to accomplish and the legacy I leave behind.
"I want to thank my entire family who was with me the entire way. I would also like to thank Denise and Dr. York, Jed York and each coach I was fortunate enough to play for. To my teammates, the ones I sweat and strained with every game, thank you for continuing to push me to want more and not settle for the status quo. Being inducted into the 49ers Hall of Fame, one of the most historic franchises in all of sports, is something that is hard to put into words. This organization will always be a part of me, one that I will forever associate myself with. I will talk about San Francisco as 'we' and 'us' for the rest of my life, and will support the 49ers and The Faithful in every way possible."
A five-time Pro Bowl selection and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team, Gore hadn't played since the 2020 season with the New York Jets -- the fifth and final team of his illustrious career. He initially made his retirement intentions known in early April, concluding any ideas of a comeback.
Gore's 16,000 yards rank behind only Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton (16,726). He's also tied for 19th all time with 81 rushing touchdowns.
His final career tallies include 3,735 carries (third all time), 4.3 yards per carry, 100 all-purpose touchdowns (81 rushing, 18 receiving, one fumble recovery) and 484 receptions for 3,985 yards during 10 seasons with the Niners, three with the Indianapolis Colts and one each with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Jets.
The most looming question now is if Gore is bound for Canton, Ohio, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For many, his status as the NFL's third all-time-leading rusher makes him a no-brainer. An injury concern coming out of Miami after he'd torn his ACL twice, Gore became a model of durability who played in at least 14 games each season of his career. He was a 1,000-yard rusher nine times.
However, he never led the league in rushing and aside from a career-best 1,695 yards in 2006 in which he averaged 105.9 yards per game, he never ran for more than 1,214 yards in a season or 80 yards per game. His career-high for touchdown runs was 10 in 2009, but he never had double-digit rushing scores any other season.
Gore was a model of consistent production and excellence, but rarely seen as being among the elite backs for a sustained portion of his career.
His longevity was an avenue to marvel at, however. He rushed for 1,000 yards in his second year at age 23 and rushed for 1,000 yards the final time in 2016 at 33. Other than Adrian Peterson, Gore was the back who stayed true autumn after autumn, while others came and went.
Gore has dabbled in boxing and has hinted at wanting to join the 49ers front office. As what lies ahead remains to be seen, what lies behind Gore was one of the most steadily impressive careers for a running back in NFL lore.
As a rookie in 2005, Gore saw Kevan Barlow get the starts in the 49ers backfield, but he ended up leading the team with 608 yards rushing.
Gore's first six years concluded without a winning season or a berth in the playoffs. That all changed in 2011 when Jim Harbaugh took over and Gore became a centerpiece for one of the NFL's best teams.
From 2011-2013, the 49ers advanced to three consecutive NFC Championship Games and Gore was a Pro Bowler each season, averaging 1,184 yards and 8.3 touchdowns.
Gore made the playoffs just four times in his career and three of those instances came during San Francisco's impressive run. During the Niners' march to Super Bowl XLVII, Gore rushed for 319 yards and four touchdowns in three playoff games. He had 110 yards rushing and a TD on 19 carries in San Francisco's Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The 2014 season would mark Gore's -- and Harbaugh's -- last in San Francisco.
He moved past 11,000 career rushing yards that year and moved on to the Colts in 2015.
His days in Indy were productive, as he ran for 960 or more yards every season and continued to climb up the all-time rushing ladder.
He passed up Hall of Fame legends such as Franco Harris, Marcus Allen, Tony Dorsett, LaDainian Tomlinson and on and on until finally eclipsing Barry Sanders for the No. 3 spot in Week 12 of the 2019 season against the Denver Broncos.
Gore's last season was largely absent of milestones and memories, aside from becoming the third player to hit 16,000 yards rushing, which he did in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns. The Jets won that day, the last highlight of a 2-14 season, and Gore still emerged as the team's leading rusher with 653 yards -- 45 yards more than he ended his rookie season with.
In an NFL world so often uncertain, Gore was a constant who kept running along -- all the way to becoming the league's No. 3 all-time rusher.
