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This past weekend, Buffalo Bills Frank Gore made history by passing Hall of Famer and former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders for third all-time on the rushing list with 15,289 yards.
Gore would surpass Sanders against the Denver Broncos with 9:29 remaining in the fourth quarter while rushing for seven yards. He would finish the game with 65 yards putting him 20 yards ahead of Sanders. He entered the contest needing just 45 yards to move up the list.
“I’m happy I was able to hit this milestone at home in front of the Buffalo fans,” Gore said, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “It hasn’t been an easy road to get to Year 15, but I am very blessed.”
“They told me I would be [in the NFL] two or three years. When I got drafted in the third round, they said San Francisco reached on me,” he said. “After the game, when I saw all the cameras, I was like, ‘Man, I passed Barry.’ Barry is one of the best, if not the best, to do it. … And I’m a guy who they said wouldn’t be in the league for more than two or three years, and I got a chance to pass him today.
“I’m blessed.”
Barry Sanders’ Message to Gore After Passing Him on Rushing List
After Gore surpassed him on the All-time rushing list, Sanders congratulated Gore via video messaged.
“Hey Frank, this is Barry, congratulations on becoming the No. 3 all-time rusher in the NFL. Keep up the great work,” said Sanders.
Gore’s former college teammate at the University of Miami or ‘The U,’ Clinton Portis shared that he, and the large portion of other running backs “idolized Sanders.”
“Passing Barry Sanders? We all idolized Barry Sanders,” Portis said.
Gore is now 1,426 yards behind Hall of Famer Walter Payton after rushing for 11 yards on Thanksgiving in a Bills win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. He is also 3,055 yards away from tying Emmitt Smith for first on the all-time rushing list.
Emmitt Smith Weighs-in on Frank Gore Surpassing Barry
Emmitt Smith was apart of the congratulation video after Gore passed Barry Sanders on November 24th.
“Congratulations to my homie Frank Gore from the state of Florida for moving into the third spot on the all-time leading rushing list. Job well done,” said Smith.
Smith also went into more depth about Frank Gore during the Bills and Cowboys broadcast on CBS Thursday afternoon. After being asked his thoughts on Frank Gore in year No. 15, Smith called it “amazing” to see Gore play that long.
“It is amazing to be in the National Football League that long because as you know, National Football League stands for ‘Not For Long.’ Especially if you are playing the running back position and you are only 5’9 or 5’10, and you only weigh 200 something pounds and you are being chased around by people who are 300 pounds every week,” said Smith.
“To see Frank Gore, who someone I was in the booth with called a journeyman, and he is absolutely correct. So, when you see a guy like Frank Gore, who has put in the amount of work that he has to make it to this point, it is pretty awesome.”
