Frank Gore was one of San Francisco‘s biggest stars and, at times, the only hope. Finishing third all-time in career rushing yards, he retired after 16 long seasons, only three years ago. And in 2024, his son is also standing on the precipice of entering the National Football League. After being invited to the pre-draft combine, Frank Gore Jr. is all set to join the pros after a stellar college career. Although entering the draft with a loaded Running Backs class, he is still projected to go in the fifth or the sixth round.
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Recently, while sitting with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Chris Simms, Frank Gore Jr. talked about his journey as the son of an NFL star. It comes with its own set of issues and especially additional pressure if you also choose to become an athlete. The Southern Miss RB said, “I feel like you have to embrace it. I feel like, in a way, everyone wants to see you fail. Not outsiders, but people who’re close.” Clearly, his experience with people around him has not been the best, and the naysayers have missed seeing the potential and hard work he has put in.
Frank further notes that the people around him, “feel like you are spoon-fed, that you are lucky. But they don’t understand that you have to go in and put the work in yourself. How much expectations come with the name and lot of other things that shouldn’t be on a young kid.” But that has not deterred the second-generation Running Back from understanding his unique position and making the most of it. On having his father’s name, the 21-year-old said, “But I’ve definitely embraced it. I look at it as a blessing to have his name and have him as a great role model.”
Frank Gore Jr. Landing Spots
The former Southern Mississippi star Frank Gore Jr. has declared that he would be forgoing his senior year before declaring for the NFL draft this year. Nonetheless, he definitely has a good college career to show to the scouts. He had a total of 4,022 yards on 759 attempts. Most mock drafts put him in the fifth or the sixth round. He is looking at multiple in-need franchises that could use help in the backfield.
Frank Gore Jr. ranked his top-five running backs of all time, and No. 1 shouldn’t surprise you pic.twitter.com/o22MX43bge
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) March 1, 2024
Top prospects include the Tennessee Titans, who have let go of Derrick Henry. The second would be the Chicago Bears, who have only really Justin Fields to depend on to get yards on the field. Other prospects include the Panthers, as their top RB, Miles Sanders’s 2023 season was marred by injuries.
Even the Dallas Cowboys and LA Chargers could use help on the backfield. So the future is bright for Frank Gore. Standing at 5’8″ and weighing around 195 pounds, he stands somewhere alongside his father and hopes to make his career look like his too.
