Frank Gore
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RB Gore to miss at least three exhibitions

Aug/01/07 05:00 PM
Frank Gore's broken right hand, although not a big deal as far as injuries go, probably will keep the running back out of the 49ers' first three exhibition games.

"I'd like to see him at least in the last week," coach Mike Nolan said. "I don't want to downgrade the importance of the preseason. It's important. It's to get your timing down. You have to get the feel of things."

Gore broke a bone in the hand in a noncontact drill Monday morning. He will have a cast put on the hand this coming Monday to allow him to practice. He will not practice until then.

In his stead, the 49ers will take a long look at Maurice Hicks, Michael Robinson and rookie Thomas Clayton. The club will probably keep two of three once final cuts are made.

"We know a lot about Michael. We know a lot about Mo," Nolan said. "Thomas Clayton, we'll find out about him. Michael is still developing as a running back (after playing quarterback at Penn State). There's a lot to be gained by giving those guys work."

49ers' Gore breaks his hand at camp

Jul/31/07 06:26 AM
Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore could miss all four of the 49ers' exhibition games after breaking his right hand Monday during the team's first padded practice of training camp.

Gore was involved in a non-contact ball-handling drill in the first of the team's two practices when he was injured. Gore left practice to have the hand checked and initially the 49ers believed the injury was only a bruise. But X-rays revealed the fracture, which team doctors expect will take about a month to heal.

The 49ers play their first exhibition Aug. 13 against Denver and open the regular season Sept. 10 against Arizona.

Gore, the NFC's leading rusher last season with a team-record 1,695 yards, will be held out of practice for the rest of this week, Coach Mike Nolan said. A cast will be put on the hand and Gore could resume practicing next Monday, Nolan added.

To ensure his health and readiness for the start of the season, Gore might be held out of all the exhibitions, Nolan said.

"We'll wait and see," Nolan said. "It's a little too early to tell on that. At the same time, we expect him back, but we're not going to do anything with him for the rest of the week. Next week, we'll re-evaluate him and hope to get him out on the field, but he'll probably have a cast on him."

49ers Insider: No summer vacation for running back Gore

Jun/23/07 10:55 AM
SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers have a monthlong vacation before training camp begins, but don't expect to see Frank Gore, a Miami native, sipping piña coladas on South Beach this July.

Instead, Gore will be a few miles to the west of the Miami beachfront, laboring up and down one of the highest hills in South Florida while tethered to a truck tire. It's a grueling regimen Gore has performed since high school, and no amount of fame or money -- the Pro Bowler signed a $28 million deal in March -- will change that.

"You've got to sweat if you're going to be successful in this sport," Gore said this week.

And sweat he will. The average high temperature in Miami in July is 89.5 degrees, which ought to aid Gore in shedding a few pounds before the start of the season.

No news is good news for Gore

Jun/21/07 05:00 PM
SANTA CLARA -- Frank Gore snatched the ball and quickly burst down field with the type of passion and purpose reminiscent of Jerry Rice's days on the 49ers practice field.

'Twas a sight for sore eyes.

Too bad you, Mr. and Mrs. NFL Fan, couldn't see the 49ers' offseason workouts, which conclude today.

Instead, you've been bombarded with dire news about concussions, dog fighting, strip-club escapades, roadway accidents and other off-field fumbles.

Here's a revelation easy on the eyes: Gore, the 49ers' current-and-future franchise player, has had an exemplary offseason.

It didn't start until after he started for the NFC in the Pro Bowl, a worthy reward for his 1,695-yard, franchise-record rushing output.

Gore Eyes Dickerson's Record

Jun/13/07 07:50 PM
The 49ers took Frank Gore in the third round of the 2005 draft because he had two major knee surgeries during his four-year University of Miami career. Well, two NFL seasons and 2,303 rushing yards later, Gore seems fine, and San Francisco has already restructured his rookie deal so that he's now scheduled to make $28 million.

So now what? For starters, Gore is taking care of his immediate family. It wasn't long ago that Gore's mom was raising three kids on welfare; now, she "doesn't even know what a bill looks like," and thanks to Frank, has a new four-bedroom home in South Florida, and a shiny, new "baby blue-colored Lexus RX-350."

Gore's next purchases, he said, will be a home for him in San Francisco and a car for Shemika, who works as an after-school teacher in the West Grove and drives their mother to weekly dialysis treatments.

If you want another reason to never believe the legitimacy of NFL draft grades issued hours after the draft concludes, here ya go: Sports Illustrated once dubbed the 2005 NFL Draft's most overrated running back.Gore has had to prove himself at every level, and he uses that as motivation:

...[h]e watches his high school highlight tape before every game he plays because it reminds him how simple the game is, said he is targeting Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record (2,105). But that is goal No. 2.

I love the idea of him popping in the Briscoe High highlights, and while I would normally just dismiss the Eric Dickerson talk, Gore has a knack for proving people wrong. If he's going for the record, though, I'd recommend the jheri curl and Chris Sabo's to make it seem as realistic as possible.

(aolsportsblog.com)

FRANK GORE - A wealth of talent

Jun/11/07 07:19 PM
Inside the kitchen of her luxurious, four-bedroom home in West Kendall, a smiling Lizzie Gore opens the door to her deep freezer and points to a collection of frozen ribs, steaks and chicken.

''The only thing we used to have in our refrigerator was a carton of eggs, some bologna and a loaf of bread,'' she says, reminiscing of the days not long ago when she and her three children lived on welfare and shared a tiny, two-bedroom home in Coconut Grove about half the size of her current 1,000-square foot living room.

``I used to have bills come to my name. Now, I don't know what a bill looks like. Frank takes care of everything.''

Frnak Gore Update

Jun/07/07 12:46 PM
Mike Nolan has said he wants to limit Frank Gore's carries to fewer than 300. Last season, Gore carried 312 times, which is a franchise record. He also made it through a season without a significant injury for the first time since his senior year of high school.

With Gore signed through 2011, it only seems reasonable that the 49ers would want to limit his touches. But Nolan mentioned this week that Gore could touch the ball 20 to 25 times a game.

"I'm going for quality, not quantity, so we'll see," Nolan said.

(49ers.pressdemocrat.com)

Gore: A real Rags to Riches story

Jun/07/07 10:41 AM
How you doing these days Eye on The U crew? Just wanted to check in during my three-week break -- Is it really vacation if I'm still working? -- to give you a place to pour your thoughts in regarding your beloved Canes. Among the topics of this entry: My visit to Frank Gore's mother's house, Denis Clemente's transfer to Kansas State, a Devin Ebanks update and a quick football recruiting update.

First, Gore. After signing his big contract extention in March, I spent months trying to hunt him down for an interview and finally did at the end of last week (a feature on him should be running in the paper soon). Anyway, he invited me to his mother's house brand new four bedroom home in West Kendall to shoot a photo of him and his mother together. Frank never showed up, but I got a chance to speak with him later on. I spent nearly an hour with his mother, who you all remember has to take weekly dialysis treatments for her diabetes and struggles simply to get out of bed.

Gore Excited About 49ers D

May/08/07 10:57 PM
Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore practically gushed on Sunday afternoon after the end of the team’s three day mini camp. His excitement wasn’t the addition of the talked about wide receivers or tackle Joe Staley, although those too bring a quick smile to the third-year back. But when it came to talking about the progress made this camp, Gore kept chatting up the defense.

“It’s just all around what I’m seeing - more competitiveness, more talent,” said Gore. “Watching Nate (Clements) out here making plays, even on film, you can tell a lot by his swagger. Michael Lewis, he’s a great safety. Tully Banta-Cain, all of those guys, even this new kid Patrick Willis. We’re just going to be good. I feel excited to put the cleats back on and go against this defense.”

Frank Gore Plans On Earning His New Money

Apr/11/07 07:44 PM
Remember the days when Frank Gore actually had to sit backup to Kevan Barlow? After receiving a contract extension from the 49ers to the tune of $14 million guaranteed, those seem like a lifetime ago. But Gore wants the world to know that he's not one of those guys who plans on lazying it up with his new fortune.

"I always want to do better than I did the year before," Gore said. "I'm excited to do better than I did last year. The organization doesn't have to worry about me sloughing off."

Gore also plans on dropping from 215 to 210 pounds this offseason after LaDainian Tomlinson told him how much faster he got after dropping a couple of pounds.

49ers' goals more important than Gore's

Apr/09/07 12:45 PM
Running back Frank Gore appeared miffed last week when he learned from a reporter that coach Mike Nolan wants to limit his carries in 2007. Gore's goal is to rush for over 2,000 yards and challenge former Ram Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105, set in 1984.

The 49ers, meanwhile, are looking for a return on their $14 million in guaranteed cash. The money was part of a four-year extension Gore signed last week.

Research reveals that running backs who top 370 carries in a given year are often rendered ineffective or are seriously injured within the span of the next two seasons. It took Gore 312 carries to gain a team-record 1,695 yards last season.

The 49ers have their own goals as a team, such as making the playoffs. A winning record could assure Gore more carries with the 49ers running the ball to protect leads late in games.

Money changes little for 49ers' Gore

Apr/04/07 09:08 AM
SANTA CLARA-Just days after signing the first lucrative contract of his career, 49ers tailback Frank Gore made it clear that the ferocious running style he's displayed in the past two seasons will not be diluted by his newfound wealth.

"It's not about the money with me," Gore said Tuesday. "I'm happy I have it and that I'm secure. I love the game. No one is going to have to worry about me slacking off. I love competing."

The five-year, $28 million contract he signed last week also hasn't changed his goals.

FBN 49ers Gore

Apr/03/07 08:54 PM
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Frank Gore has some big goals to go along with his big new contract with the San Francisco 49ers. The Pro Bowl running back hopes to improve on his breakout campaign last season and top 2,000 yards in 2007.

Gore finished 2006 as the NFC's leading rusher with a franchise-record 1,695 yards. Now he's looking at an even bigger goal, possibly even surpassing Eric Dickerson's NFL record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

``That's my goal,'' Gore said Tuesday. ``I always want to do better than what I did last year. I know that's a big number. I'm going to try to get it. I will work hard this offseason. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.''

Gore was due to earn $435,000 in his third season before agreeing to the four-year contract extension last week. He will be under contract to the 49ers through 2011 with a deal containing more than $14 million in guaranteed money, including a signing bonus worth a reported $6.5 million.

Gore contract a rare and beautiful thing

Apr/01/07 02:28 PM
It is a beautiful thing in the NFL when player, agent and team come together to make a deal happen without any badmouthing, posturing, holdout threats or actions, me-first attitudes or even disregard for market value. This is exactly what has happened between the 49ers and running back Frank Gore. Although minor details still need to be arranged, the two sides came to terms earlier this week on what appears to be a reasonable contract for all parties.

Reportedly, the deal is worth approximately $27 million, about $14 million of which is guaranteed money. By all accounts, that money is a large payday for the next five years, but in a market where offensive linemen are getting bonuses of $17 million, it really seems like quite a reasonable contract for a player who rushed for nearly 1,700 yards last season.

Before heavy negotiations were underway, Gore's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, suggested that his client would only sign a contract that would make him the highest-paid back in the league. Admittedly, then, there was some minor posturing. But that was the last antagonistic remark from either party, likely because of Gore putting his foot down toward Rosenhaus, whom he had hired last year with the specific task of getting a good deal done. Not that Gore would have any problem with getting that kind of deal, but he had other priorities.

Notebook: Taking care of Gore in several ways

Apr/01/07 02:27 PM
If the 49ers and Frank Gore had entered the 2007 season without a new contract, the team's best player would have also been one of its lowest-paid players. Clearly, something had to be done, and coach Mike Nolan said the timing was right for the 49ers to sign Gore to a five-year, $28 million extension that was a good deal for both the team and its star performer.

"It was a little early because Frank just finished his second year," Nolan said, "but if you identify somebody you want to have that is a good player - that you want to have around for awhile - it's good to get it done early because the longer you wait, the more expensive it gets and the closer it gets to them seeing that window for free agency."

The 49ers essentially controlled Gore's rights for the next three seasons. He was signed through 2007, but the team could have given him a high tender next year as a restricted free agent, then made him their franchise player in 2009.

But the 49ers and agent Drew Rosenhaus worked out a contract that makes Gore one of the top-10 paid running backs in the league.

Gore gets what he deserves

Mar/29/07 01:33 AM
The extension of Frank Gore's contract assures that he won't end up as the Ryan Howard of football.

This winter, after he won the NL MVP and hit 58 home runs for them, the Phillies said they tried to reach a long-term agreement with Howard. But we have to wonder how hard they really tried, knowing that he was ineligible for both arbitration and free agency.

They gave him $900,000 for this year, a big raise over the $355,000 he made last year, but nowhere near what his numbers on the field should command. Even if the Phillies truly couldn't justify a long-term deal, there nothing stopping them from giving him closer to $2 million. OK, in arbitration, the past salary could come back to bite them, but come on. The man hit 58 home runs. He shouldn't be making less than Barry Zito will earn less than two weeks into the season.

By reportedly guaranteeing Gore close to $14 million over the next five years, the 49ers avoid an even bigger absurdity. Can you imagine the NFC rsuhing champion, who rushed for 1,695 yards last year, earning only $450,000 this season while his quarterback pocketed another portion of a $49.5 million rookie deal? And while the new cornerback in town, Nate Clements, started collecting his $22 million in guaranteed money?

Gore reaches agreement with 49ers through 2011

Mar/28/07 10:33 AM
When the San Francisco 49ers selected tailback Frank Gore in the second round of the 2005 draft, the former University of Miami star proved to be one of the biggest steals in the last several seasons. On Tuesday evening, the 49ers opened up their coffers to Gore, the NFC rushing leader in 2006.

ESPN.com has learned that the 49ers reached agreement with Gore on a four-year contract extension through 2011, with the deal averaging just shy of $7 million in terms of so-called "new money."

Gore will receive an initial signing bonus of $6.5 million and total guarantees of nearly $14 million. The contract will pay Gore $13.862 million in its first two seasons and $18.212 million in the first three years. Because Gore had one season remaining on his original rookie contract, the four-year extension creates a five-year deal, and the total value over the course of the five seasons is $28.012 million.

Notebook: Niners have the leverage with Gore

Mar/20/07 08:21 AM
After negotiating lucrative contracts for running backs Willis McGahee and Thomas Jones after trades, agent Drew Rosenhaus might feel that the market has been set for Frank Gore. However, the 49ers are in a position in which they don't have to touch Gore's contract and they can still keep him around for the next three seasons. But the 49ers also want to take care of Gore, a 2005 third-round pick.

Gore set the 49ers record last season while leading the NFC with 1,695 yards rushing. Gore is entering the final season of the original three-year deal he signed as a rookie. He is scheduled to earn $435,000 this season, making him tied for the 36th-highest paid player on the team.

But if Rosenhaus is looking for a deal that will make Gore one of the highest-paid players in the game, he is not likely to get it.

Frank Gore Might Be Looking For a New Deal

Mar/11/07 10:25 PM
It was only a matter of time, I guess. San Francisco running back Frank Gore is coming off a monster season, and now he's looking to get paid. Next year will be his third in the league, and the former third-round pick is still on his rookie contract (it's a five-year deal). But after rushing for 1,695 yards in 2006 (5.4 ypc), including eight TDs, his agent thinks it's time to renegotiate. So, who is Gore's agent (like you have to ask)?

Drew Rosenhaus said he expects talks with the San Francisco 49ers over a new contract for running back Frank Gore to "heat up" in the next few days. Those sentiments came shortly after Rosenhaus negotiated a six-year deal worth in excess of $32 million for running back Willis McGahee.

According to Yahoo.com's Jason Cole, McGahee was Rosenhaus' third running back client to get a hefty raise in the past week: Fred Taylor (Jags) and Thomas Jones (Jets) also made out okay for themselves recently.

It sounds like Rosenhaus is looking for at least $20 million guaranteed, based on the McGahee, Taylor and Jones deals. No mention on how the 49ers feel about this, but the club still has some salary-cap room despite breaking the bank on Nate Clements last week. If there was ever a good time to give somebody $20 million, it's probably this off-season.

(aolsportsblog.com)

Harris, Gore take different roads to Pro Bowl

Feb/11/07 12:40 PM
Larry Allen, the NFL knows all about. But Frank Gore and Walt Harris? One was a second-year running back coming off multiple shoulder surgeries, and the other was an 11th-year veteran who entered the 2006 season closer to journeyman status than star status. But now here they are, on stage with Allen in Hawaii as the first position players to represent the 49ers in the Pro Bowl since 2003.

The youngster and the wily veteran both took divergent paths to get there.

Gore did it by flashing into the NFL consciousness and durably blasting through NFL defenses for a franchise-record 1,695 rushing yards in 2006, a figure that led the NFC and has him pegged as the conference's starting running back in today's game at Aloha Stadium.

Harris did it by turning back the clock and answering the naysayers who said he was finished as a productive NFL player. Harris wasn't just productive in his debut season with the 49ers, he was a difference-maker who had his best season while leading the NFC with eight interceptions.

Dickerson likes Gore's chances at rushing mark

Feb/02/07 08:17 AM
MIAMI - As his last act of the season, Frank Gore vowed to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record next season. The 49ers running back made his vow on New Year's Day, proclaiming, ``Yeah, I'll get that.''

Dickerson, 46, had been unaware of that comment until Thursday. Upon hearing Gore's boast, the Hall of Fame running back delivered a surprising, diplomatic response: He laughed.

``I said the same thing to O.J.,'' Dickerson said.

Gore's message to Turner: Stay with 49ers

Feb/01/07 08:52 AM
MIAMI - Frank Gore tried calling Norv Turner last week but got his voice mail. That's understandable since Turner is a man in demand these days as a leading candidate to coach the Dallas Cowboys.

But Gore, who set a team rushing record, wants Turner to stick with the 49ers -- and called to tell him so. He doesn't want the 49ers to lose the offensive coordinator after just one promising season.

``It would hurt,'' Gore said Wednesday from Super Bowl headquarters, where he was part of an awards ceremony. ``We need him to stay. With the young team that we have, we could keep getting better and better. Last year from the first week to the last week we kept improving every game. You could see it.''

Frank Gore Update

Jan/25/07 03:07 PM
The Niners realize it would behoove them to give ace RB Frank Gore a healthy raise before his contract expires after the 2007 season. However, the way we hear it, negotiations with Gore's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, will hardly be cut and dried, since, regardless of Gore's great success, they still consider him a 24-year-old running back in a 30-year-old's body. Another valued young Niner with the same contract situation as Gore, starting ORG Justin Smiley, is a good bet to be re-signed first.

(pfw.com)

Frank Gore: By the numbers

Jan/18/07 09:10 AM
Sixteen-Hundred Ninety-Five: The number of rushing yards amassed this past season, enough to shatter the previous San Francisco 49ers team record of 1,570 set by Garrison Hearst in 1998.

Six: The number of fumbles Gore had in the regular season. He lost five of them. This is certainly an area of his game that leaves plenty of room for improvement. Maybe he should get together with Ahman Green and Tiki Barber in the offseason. Both also had fumbling issues early in their career, but were able to remedy the situations over time.

Sixty-one: That's how many passes Gore caught in 2006, making him arguably the most versatile back in all of football.

Nine: That's how many times the Miami native failed to reach the 20-carry plateau. Incidentally, the 49ers lost eight of those nine contests. Memo to Mike Nolan: Make sure to feed the ball to Gore early and often. As is the case with most elite running backs, the more he carries the football, the more likely his team will win the game.

Gore will run again this year - The 49ers tailback eyes Eric Dickerson's season record of 2,105 rushing yards.

Jan/03/07 07:11 AM
Frank Gore's first season as the 49ers' starting tailback ended with him leading the NFC in rushing and owning every meaningful franchise record for a runner.

Hey, Frank, what will you do for an encore?

"I'm going for 2,200 (yards) next year," he said with a straight face. "That's the record, right?"

As a matter of fact, 2,200 yards would shatter the season rushing record -- 2,105 yards -- Eric Dickerson set in 1984. Baltimore tailback Jamal Lewis flirted with the mark in 2003, and Gore would need to tack 411 yards onto his total this season (1,695) to earn the record.

Gore's next goal with Niners: 2,200 yards

Jan/02/07 06:34 PM
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - After far too many offseasons spent mostly in the hospital or the training room, Frank Gore has more welcoming destinations in mind this year.

The 49ers' record-setting running back will first head home to Miami, then jet off to Honolulu next month for his first Pro Bowl. After a little break, it's back to work making sure San Francisco can ride its suddenly sturdy running back to bigger things in 2007.

When the 49ers (7-9) packed their belongings and left their training complex Monday, Gore was entirely healthy and incredibly happy after a breakthrough season. With one last standout performance in San Francisco's dramatic win at Denver on Sunday, Gore finished as the NFC's leading rusher with a franchise-record 1,695 yards.

Gore breaks 49ers record with 1,695 yards rushing

Jan/01/07 12:15 PM
DENVER - For Frank Gore, it was a workmanlike finish to the single-most productive season by a 49ers running back.

He carried the ball a season-high 31 times for 153 yards and added two receptions for 32 yards in the 49ers' 26-23 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

In his first full season as a starter, Gore had an NFC-leading 1,695 yards rushing, the third most in the league behind San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson (1,815) and Kansas City's Larry Johnson (1,789).

Gore set a team record for yards rushing in a season, overtaking Garrison Hearst's 1,570 yards achieved in 1998. The team's leading receiver with 61 catches for 485 yards, Gore also eclipsed Hearst's team record for combined rushing and receiving yardage with 2,180 to Hearst's 2,105.

Gore's dedication results in a run into record book

Jan/01/07 12:12 PM
01-01) 04:00 PST Denver -- Frank Gore's game and attitude was personified by a small black box that stood in his locker after the 49ers' 26-23 win over the Broncos.

It was a lunch pail, given to him by running backs coach Bishop Harris with Gore's number 21 printed on the side. The rest of the running backs received the same gift.

"When you come to work, you bring your lunch," Gore said. "That's what we do every day, (and) we bring them to every road game."