San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
At 35, Gore still amazes with productive career
Ichiro Suzuki arrived to the Marlins as baseball’s oldest player with a trailer of workout machines to stay fit beyond mortal limits. Jaromir Jagr came to the Panthers as hockey’s oldest player with a stash of secrets that involved calling a strength coach late at night and saying, “Meet me at the rink.”
Frank Gore, at 35 the NFL’s oldest running back, has no machines or midnight rendezvous to fight time’s narrowing of the hall and dimming of the light.
“I’m just myself,” he said.
Dolphins teammate Cameron Wake, 36, eats plates of salmon, passes on cheeseburgers and hasn’t had a drop of alcohol since his first year in college. Teammates send him shots of water at bars.
“I watch what I eat a little during the week,” Gore says. “But Monday, now Monday might be a cheat day.”
He smiles. “I’m going to have to ask Cam about all that.”
Gore sits in the productive December of this season, in the December of his career, and listens to another prying question about the secret to his success. He has a pat line to this by now.
“I’ll tell you when it’s over,” he says.
Here’s the real secret: There is no secret. Work hard. Live right. Stay healthy. Understand your strengths. Find motivation, at times, in being doubted, like he still does in mentioning then-49ers general manager Trent Baalke, who released him after the 2014 season.
And, finally, love the game.
“I still love it,” Gore said. “I love everything about it.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, Gore’s former 49ers coach, said Gore was his hands-down, all-time favorite player. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck said Gore, who spent the previous three seasons in Indianapolis before joining Miami in the offseason, might just be his all-time favorite teammate.
Everyone who says they’re not surprised by Gore still running, and running, undersells what he’s done. Everyone should be surprised. It’s abnormal.
Two years ago, at 33, Gore became the oldest running back to rush for 1,000 yards since John Riggins in 1985. At 35 this season, Gore vaulted LaDainian Tomlinson for fourth place on the alltime rushing list. Next up in 535 yards: Barry Sanders.
Gore’s rushing totals look pedestrian at 708 yards (ranked 20th) and 4.7 yards per carry (19th). But the power is still in his game: He ranks seventh with 2.3 yards per carry after contact.
While at the University of Miami, Gore twice tore his ACL and slid to a third-round draft pick by the 49ers. Now Gore sees a slice of value to the injuries.
“That’s why when I practice, I grind, go hard every play,” Gore said. “When it was taken from me, I was sick.”
Dave Hyde writes for the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.