Frank Gore Jr. Has Major Footsteps to Follow
INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Gore played for five teams during his remarkable 16-year career, and the 14th of those 16 seasons was the only one he played with his hometown Miami Dolphins.
His son is hoping to follow in his footsteps in every way, and that includes suiting up for the Dolphins.
"Oh that would be blessed," Frank Gore Jr. said at the scouting combine Friday. "That's my hometown, so I'll be ready to put on for my hometown . I didn't get to do it in college. So if I get to do it in NFL, that'd be great."
Of course, it also would be cool for Gore to be drafted by any of his father's former teams, starting with the one with which he spent the first 10 years of his career, the San Francisco 49ers.
If that happened, the Gores could duplicate the great family moment that happened last year when Dallas Cowboys assistant director of college scouting Chris Vaughn called his son Deuce (also a running back) to tell him his team had drafted him.
Frank Gore, who retired after playing for the New York Jets in 2020, now serves as football personnel advisor for the 49ers.
The younger Gore said Friday his father hasn't given him any inside scoops on his status.
"No, he can't do that." Frank Jr. said with a smile. "He just helped me become a pro. Nothing inside, though. I've seen him in the hallway (of the Indiana Convention Center) a few times. We talked a few times. He called me, but we'll probably get together after (Saturday)."
HOW FRANK GORE JR. IS LIKE HIS FATHER
While his father was selected in the third round of the 2005 — and he went that late only because he had torn his left ACL twice while at the University of Miami — Frank Jr. projects as a late-round pick and he possibly could end up going undrafted.
Gore is a quality running back — he rushed for 1,382 and 1,113 yards his final two seasons at Southern Miss — but lacks size at 5-7, 199. The elder Gore was listed at 5-9, 212.
"I'm say I'm pretty similar to my dad," Gore said. "We have our similarities, but we're also different in a way, but yeah, we're pretty similar. I'll say he grilled me, so of course we're similar.
"I'd say I'm more agile, a little bit more lateral movement. He's more of a thumper. But other than that, I'll say other than that, we're pretty similar."
Considering his father finished his career as the NFL's third all-time rushing leader with an even 16,000 yards and is a strong candidate to end up being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, those are quite some large footsteps to follow for Frank Jr.
But he's completely unfazed.
"I mean however people wanna take it, they feel like they wanna take a shot at me because of my name, I'm ready for it," he said. "I'm from South Florida, so competition is what we live by, so I'm not backing down from anything. Nothing is too big for me. I feel like I was built for this moment.
"It's a blessing and it's an opportunity. I'm not gonna shy away from my name. I am who I am. It's a blessing to have this name. I'm not gonna say I'm not happy to have this name. He had this name, he made it what it is so now I have the responsibility to take it further."
