College Competition Helped Make Gore Great
By David Villavicencio
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Four Pro Bowl selections, a second teamAll-Pro selection, and the 49ers all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, FrankGore’s career is full of accolades.
Gore, 29, could also add Super Bowl champion to his impressivelist of accomplishments, as his 49ers are preparing to play the BaltimoreRavens on Sunday for the Lombardi Trophy. But Gore’s greatness began wellbefore he joined San Francisco’s roster in 2005.
The Miami native is arguably the greatest high school running backin Miami-Dade County history. As a senior at Coral Gables High, Gore broke thecounty single-season records for rushing yards (2,953) and touchdowns (34). Healso set the county single-game rushing record, ripping off 419 yards in onecontest against Miami Southwest in 2000. Those records still stand today.
After being recruited by seemingly every football program in thecountry, Gore chose to attend the University of Miami and play for his hometownHurricanes.
Many expected a player as talented as Gore to jump to the top ofMiami’s running back depth chart as soon as he stepped on campus. But the Caneshad an impressive stable of backs that included future NFL standouts Clinton Portisand Willis McGahee as well as Najeh Davenport and Jarrett Payton.
Gore did not let the talent-rich backfield scare him away fromMiami. The freshman earned the role as Portis’ backup as a freshman, rushingfor 562 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries, while helping Miami win itsfifth national championship. Even in a limited role, Gore’s talent was evidentand The Sporting News named him Big East Freshman of the Year.
“Competition. If you want to be the best, you have to play with the best. I wasn’t scared of competition,” Gore told reporters at Super Bowl Media Day.
The daily competition for reps between Gore, Portis, McGahee andthe rest of the talented backs at Miami ultimately helped all of them elevatetheir game and maximize their potential.
“I had greatcoaches,” Gore told The Miami Heraldat Super Bowl Media Day. “Joe Montoya at Gables, and so many at UM. Andeverybody from Jim Harbaugh on down with the 49ers. You know, I’ve never had todo anything all by myself. I’ve always had great teammates, great family.”
Portis went on to be a second-round NFL Draft pick in 2002. Innine NFL seasons with the Broncos and Redskins, he was named the AP OffensiveRookie of the Year, earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and was selected as anAll-Pro in 2008.
Gore redshirted in 2002 to rehabilitate from knee surgery,allowing McGahee to step in as the lead back for the Canes and earn a spot inthe first round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
“I found out atthe University of Miami that you have to be ready for anything and everything,”Gore told The Miami Herald at SuperBowl Media Day. “And that’s never been clearer in my mind than it is thisweek.”
Like Portis, McGahee has also made two Pro Bowls in nineseasons. The current Broncos back wasselected as the Comeback Player of the Year in 2004 while with the Bills andhas also played for the Ravens. He missed the entire 2003 season rehabbing aknee injury sustained in his final collegiate game. But the Miami native madean impact from the second he stepped on an NFL field, rushing for over 1,100yards in three of his first four NFL seasons.
Gore returned to action in 2003, rushing for 468 yards on 89carries and scoring four touchdowns in just five games before a knee injurysidelined him for the remainder of the season.
After suffering two devastating knee injuries, Gore could havequit football to focus on his studies. But Gore has never been the type ofperson to give up on anything, so he worked hard to get healthy and it paidoff.
“You have tofinish,” Gore told The Miami Heraldat Super Bowl Media Day. “You have to finish whatever you start.”
The 2004 season would be Gore’s last in a Hurricanes uniform andit was also his best. As a junior, Gore played in all 12 games, amassing 945yards and scoring eight touchdowns on 197 carries.
Gore showed enough in his time at Miami to become the 65th-overallpick in the 2005 NFL Draft and he has continued to progress as a player since joiningthe professional ranks.
The 29-year-old has proven himself as an elite talent at everylevel and never shied away from competition. Instead, Gore relished thechallenge and became a better player because of it.
All of Gore’s hard work and determination have paid off, as he hasreached the peak of his profession. Soon, he may earn another outstandingachievement: a Super Bowl title to match his National Championship ring.
