Jun/05/15 08:20 AM Filed in:
Frank GoreFrank Gore needed a new home. The Indianapolis Colts needed a running back.
It seemed like the right match for both parties, so the veteran running back called fellow South Florida native T.Y. Hilton and asked him to put in a good word with Colts' management. Gore laid out the thought process that brought him to Indianapolis in an interview with ESPN's Mike Wells.
“I called T.Y. and said, ‘Tell them I’m interested,’ without even knowing if they were interested in me," Gore said, via Wells. “I figured out they weren’t happy with Trent (Richardson) during the season. I had watched from a distance as they continued to get better every year and they had one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Andrew (Luck), but I didn't know a whole lot about the organization."
Hilton was happy to relay the message. He wasn't surprised the veteran running back wanted to play with Luck.
“Everybody wants to play with Andrew,” Hilton told Wells. “He's a free-agent magnet. I told (Gore) we need a good, solid running back. We got Boom (Herron). He does great things for us, but we need that back that’s like Frank. We’re a power scheme offense, and his style fits that perfectly. I told him he would really help us. I really didn’t have to sell anything on him.”
Gore initially agreed to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles at the beginning of free agency in March, but had a change of heart and backed out.
“It’s a business,” Gore said. “I wanted to be here. I’ve been with (offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton) and it’s a similar offense. It couldn’t be any better.”
On paper, at least, it seems like a perfect mix of need and opportunity for both the player and the team. The five-time Pro Bowler has run for more than 1,000 yards in eight of his last nine seasons. The Colts haven't had a 1,000 yard rusher since 2007. Gore, 32, is excited by the possibilities the Indianapolis offense will present. It's why he's there.
"I feel like every game can be different,” Gore said. “Some games if we have to throw 50-60 times to win, I’m with it. Sometimes we might have to pound it out. I simply want to win. That's the reason I came here. Just to win."
(foxsports.com)