SANTA CLARA–Frank Gore is officially an ageless wonder.
At 34 years old, the 13th year NFL veteran is the oldest starting running back in the league, and one of the few backs in football who has legitimate Hall of Fame credentials.
On Sunday, Gore will match up against his old team, the San Francisco 49ers, for the first time since signing with Indianapolis in 2015. After spending 10 seasons with San Francisco, Gore did not re-sign after the 2014 campaign, and he admitted that he was bitter about the way things ended.
“At first I did, my first year I was kind of bitter, but that’s the business of the league,” Gore said via a conference call on Wednesday morning. “They had a young guy (Carlos Hyde) and Trent Baalke had drafted him and that’s who they wanted to play. They wanted to go in a new direction. I was fortunate too. I just knew that when I left, I left on good terms. I played great ball for the York family and my fans out there.”
Hyde said Wednesday that one of the first lessons he learned from Gore during their lone year together in San Francisco was to never let a rookie take your job, and he said that spoke to the competitiveness Gore brought to the field every day. During the conference call, Gore offered praise of Hyde, and said the Ohio State product is one of the most promising young backs in the league.
“He’s one of the top young guys in the league, I feel,” Gore said. “I always feel that he’s had talent. This year, he’s doing great and playing very hard. I watched his Seattle tape and he’s playing very hard. He’s one of the bright spots of the offense. They’re putting a lot on his shoulders and I think he’s just got to continuing working hard and as long as he stays healthy, he’s just got to do what he’s got to do.”
Even though the 49ers have struggled to an 0-4 start, Gore said that he thinks the franchise is “pointing in the right direction,” and said the defensive line, which is loaded with young talent, is clearly one of the team’s top units.
“Looking at the team, they’ve got a lot young guys who I think got a lot of potential, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Gore said.
In the midst of his 13th season, Gore remains a shining example of durability at the running back position, as he hasn’t missed a game since the 2010 season. Armed with nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Gore is the NFL’s active leader in rushing yards with 13,256, nearly 1,500 yards ahead of Adrian Peterson.
On Wednesday, Gore said that he continues to evaluate how much longer he wishes to play each offseason, but at this point, there’s no denying that his longevity as a starter in the NFL is one of the traits that makes his career so unique.
“I take it one year at a time,” Gore said. “I evaluate myself on how the year went for me, how my body feels and when I start training, can I still do it? so far, i still feel like I can play. I’m still having fun, and now, it’s just trying to help my team get some wins.”