Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Gore caps an emotional few weeks
CORAL GABLES — It has been, for Frank Gore, an emotional few weeks.
Late last month, the former Miami Hurricanes running back signed a oneyear deal with his hometown Dolphins. Last week, he was presented with a ceremonial key to the city of Miami. Saturday he attended Miami’s spring game where his younger cousin Gilbert Frierson, a freshman cornerback, made a spectacular interception and got to wear Miami’s famed Turnover Chain.
This week, Gore arrived at the Dolphins training facility and spoke of his goals for the season, one of which he said was to continue proving he’s one of the top backs in the NFL even after an already-remarkable 13 seasons.
On Thursday, joined by former Hurricanes coach Larry Coker and former UM teammate Devin Hester, Gore was one of nine former Hurricane sports greats inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame.
Joining Gore, Coker and Hester in the Hall’s Class of 2018 were former basketball players John Salmons and Chanivia Broussard, baseball player Yonder Alonso, soccer player Britney Butcher, track and field athlete Dominique Darden and golfer Tina Miller Lloyd.
Also there to celebrate Thursday’s induction were a handful of familiar faces from the 2001 national championship football team on which Gore played and Coker coached, including quarterback Ken Dorsey, tight end Kellen Winslow, offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and running backs coach Don Soldinger.
The outpouring of support was overwhelming for the 34-year-old Gore, who has rushed for 14,026 yards during his NFL career, a number good enough to be fifth on the league’s all-time list.
At Miami, where he played alongside the likes of Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee, Gore totaled 1,975 career rushing yards, despite dealing with multiple knee injuries.
“Everything is going in the right direction. Last week, I get the key to the city, now I’m getting inducted into the [Hall of Fame] at a school that’s had a bunch of great players that were great in college and also the NFL,” Gore said. “Now I’m in the Hall of Fame with them. And I get to play back in Miami, in front of my college friends, my kids, my coaches from Pop Warner to high school. It’s a blessing. I’ve been blessed. … I’m just taking it as it comes. I’m happy about everything coming in my direction.”
Thursday’s induction ceremony was emotional, too, for Coker, who presided over the UM football program from 2001-2006.
During that time, he went 60-15, his winning percentage ranking third alltime in Miami history behind only fellow UM Sports Hall of Fame coaches Dennis Erickson and Jimmy Johnson.
Like Gore, Coker found himself exchanging hugs with fellow members of that national championship team and reminiscing about one of the greatest stretches in Hurricanes football history.
“You realize how old you are, I guess,” Coker laughed. “But it was a great time for me, a great career. I’m just real pleased to have an opportunity to come back here, say hello to these guys and see some friends and people. … It’s an awesome honor because I’ve watched the national championship game with Bernie Kosar and of course with coach [Howard] Schnellenberger and its an honor to even watch it, to be a part of it and to be back here and have this top honor, just amazing. It’s amazing.”