In this Monday edition of Niners Daily, we highlight a future Hall of Famer and his milestone performance in the San Francisco 49ers season finale on Sunday.
Frank Gore will be a free agent for the first time in his 10-year NFL career this offseason. The veteran running back, who confirmed he has no intentions of retiring, stated that he would like to return to the 49ers if the situation is right.
In his final two games of the 2014 season, Gore proved that he still can play at a high level. Against the San Diego Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals, Gore combined for 302 yards on 51 carries.
Thanks to those performances, Gore closed out the year by surpassing 1,000 yards for the eighth time in his career and became the 20th player in NFL history to rush for more than 11,000 yards.
In the aftermath of the 49ers season, several of Gore's long-time teammates commented on what the tailback has accomplished in his storied career.
Quotes
RB Pierre Garçon: "To be able to play with a guy like Frank is a blessing in itself. It's special. Frank is a guy who I looked up to; I tried to copy a little bit of his game. Being able to just watch him run the ball and see how he is patient and how he hits the hole, it definitely carried over into my game."
WR Anquan Boldin: "We wanted to make sure that he got (1,000 yards). Frank is a guy that leaves his all out on the field. So it would be a shame to not have him go out the right way."
LG Mike Iupati: "He's the best running back I've ever blocked for. He is so passionate. He's just awesome. It's an honor to play with him and block for him."
RG Alex Boone: "He's unbelievable and amazing. I think Frank did a great job. He always plays great and whether he comes back or not, he's one of my favorite players ever. He is a great guy, he's very humble and he deserves everything he gets."
LB Joe Staley: "Frank is like my brother. I love Frank to death, and I want Frank to do what's best for him. But for me, I'm biased, I'd take Frank all day long."
Tweets
WE RAN THE ROCK!.. Congrats to Franky G. #HOF #49ers — Bam Davis (@AnthonyDavis76) December 29, 2014
Been an honor playing with one of the all-time greats & watching history be made first-hand #FrankGore #11k — Jonathan A. Martin (@J_Martin71) December 29, 2014
Delivery Guy
After cleaning out his locker for the year, Gore made an unexpected visit to the 49ers media workroom to offer his gratitude to the reporters who have covered his career.
