In a now infamous speech the night before the New Orleans Saints' divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams specifically mentioned targeting the head of running back Frank Gore as a key part of their game plan.
"We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head," Williams said on January 13. "We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways."
Asked about the audio tape on Tuesday, Gore said he has no beef with Saints middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Gore's former high school and college teammate, and took being singled-out by Williams as a sign of respect. Gore finished sixth in the NFL with 1,211 rushing yards and led the 49ers with eight touchdowns in the 2011 regular season
"When you hear another team call your name, that means respect," Gore said according to Matthew Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. "That's a lot of respect, and you're doing something right for your team. So it don't bother me at all."
