GETTY Frank Gore #20 of the Buffalo Bills during a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at New Era Field on August 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York.
In the latter years of New York Jets RB Frank Gore’s career, a debate has raged over whether the former San Francisco 49er and five-time Pro Bowler should be inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame when the time comes.
The latest to throw his hat in the ring is former 49ers running back Tom Rathman and current Indianapolis Colts running backs coach, who played for San Francisco from 1986 to 1993 and coached Gore as the 49ers running backs coach from 2009 to 2014.
Going on San Francisco’s 95.7 The Game, Rathman dismissed the critics of Gore’s case for the Hall of Fame, highlighting one of the the 37-year-old’s many strengths: his longevity.
“Those are guys that don’t know anything about football,” Rathman told 95.7 The Game’s Jo, Lo and Dibs on Wednesday. “I mean, people that think that way, those are people that don’t have a clue what football’s all about. But I don’t think there’s any question that Frank Gore is going into the Hall of Fame. There’s no question. Anyone who plays as long as he has, and has done what he’s done in the league year after year, he keeps doing it playing at high levels — and he’s still playing at a high level, ya know at this age.”
Over Gore’s 15-season career, he’s never dipped below 500 rushing yards in a season, and has maintained a career average of 4.3 yards per carry a decade and a half from joining the 49ers in the third-round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Rathman Piles It On
Gore’s former RB coach didn’t stop with his initial quote, going on to say that while each Hall of Fame candidate has pros and cons to their football resume, Gore’s pros easily outmatch the cons.
“I think that’s crazy,” Rathman said about those who think Gore doesn’t belong in Canton. “I mean, there may be people that say that just to get it in their conversation. Because you have to evaluate each player and give the pros and the cons. Yeah there are gonna be pros. Yeah there are gonna be cons. But, I mean, obviously, the pros are gonna outweigh the cons, so when you come down to it you have to make a decision and I don’t think there’s any question what decision will be made.”
Gore and Rathman departed Santa Clara, California pretty , but not before the pair produced some of Gore’s best work.
In the six seasons that Rathman and Gore worked together, Gore ran 6,632 yards and 42 touchdowns as he wrapped up his time with the 49ers with three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2011 to 2013.
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Gore With the Jets
This offseason saw Gore join his third different AFC East team by joining the Jets, after first playing for the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. Gore will find himself in the same spot that he was in Miami and Buffalo, which is to say a role player.
However, as seen through his impressive feat of rushing for at least 500 yards each year, Gore consistently produces, even as the alternative to a RB like the Jets’ Le’Veon Bell.
Gore had worked with New York head coach Adam Gase in Miami, although the stint didn’t end well for either of them as Gore left his hometown NFL team that offseason and Gase was fired after the Dolphins finished 7-9.
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, MT. Follow and reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.