Will 49ers Legend Frank Gore Be a First Ballot Hall of Famer?

Former 49ers running back Frank Gore plans to sign a one-day contract and retire as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. The third-ranked NFL all-time leading rusher is hoping to work in the 49ers' front office one day. Gore finished his 16-year career with 3,735 rushing attempts, 16,000 rushing yards, 81 rushing touchdowns, and an average of 4.3 yards per carry on the ground.

Gore was also dangerous in the receiving game, finishing with 484 receptions for 3,985 yards, 8.2 yards per reception, and 18 touchdowns. He is the 49ers' all-time rushing leader with 11,073 yards and second in touchdowns with 64.

Gore began his career with the 49ers. He was a third-round draft pick out of Miami with selection No. 65 in the 2005 NFL Draft. Gore's second year with the 49ers was his break-out year. In 2006, Gore averaged 5.4 yards a carry, 105.9 yards per game, eight touchdowns, and was just five yards shy of the 1,700-rushing-yard mark. Gore spent ten seasons with the 49ers and rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight seasons.

Gore's subsequent tenure was his three-year stint with Colts. In 2016, Gore rushed for 1,025 yards, totaling nine 1,000-yard seasons for his career. Gore then played one year each with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets.

In 2020, Gore reached a milestone by rushing for 16,000 yards, making him the third-ranked all-time rushing leader. This list includes, in order, Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore, Barry Sanders, Adrian Peterson, Curtis Martin, LaDanian Tomlinson, Jerome Bettis, Eric Dickerson, and Tony Dorsett. Of the top ten rushing leaders of all time, eight of these running backs are in the Hall of Fame. Peterson, who's currently active, Gore, Sanders, Martin, Tomlinson, and Dickerson didn't achieve a Super Bowl victory.

What are the criteria to get into the Hall of Fame? The first thing is eligibility. Players aren't eligible until after five years from their retirement date. Gore wouldn't become eligible until 2027. There are 49 elite members of the selection committee. They go through a series of polls until the final list is narrowed down. Fans and coaches may nominate players for this process.

Frank Gore should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and I'm saying this with zero bias. Though he didn't achieve a Super Bowl victory, he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, second-team All-Pro in 2006, and made the Hall of Fame all-2010 team.

No, Gore didn't run like sweetness, power you over like the bus, or turn adverse losses into touchdowns, but he was durable and ran gritty. After suffering the two ACL injuries at the University of Miami on the same knee, only Gore knew he had the drive and determination to be great. He has only missed 15 games in 16 seasons. Gore should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer based on durability. He was the most durable runner of all time.

• Written by:
  Wayne P. Brown
  Wayne Breezie is a 49ers content creator. He had his first guest appearance on Ronbosports in 2012. He began writing for a Facebook group called the League of the 49ers. Next, he began writing for Nothing But Niners in 2017. In 2018, Wayne Breezie made his debut on YouTube’s Nothing But Niners show. In 2019, he started his podcast called Nitty Gritty Niners. After putting the pen down for several years, Breezie saw an opportunity to write for 49erscap.com. His first published article was in January of 2022 with 49ersCap, and he currently writes and produces weekly podcasts.
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