Ranking the top 25 running backs in NFL history…
Drafted in the third round (65th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 out of the University of Miami, Gore overcame two college ACL injuries to become one of the NFL’s most durable and consistent running backs.
Despite early depth chart battles, he emerged as a starter in his second season, leading the NFC with 1,695 rushing yards in 2006, setting 49ers single-season and single-game records (212 yards), and earning his first Pro Bowl selection along with PFWA Most Improved Player honors.
Over 10 seasons with the 49ers, Gore amassed five Pro Bowl nods (2006, 2009, 2011-2013), rushed for over 1,000 yards eight times and led the team to Super Bowl XLVII in 2012, where he gained 110 yards and a touchdown in a narrow 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
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He set franchise records for career rushing yards (11,073) and most 100-yard games in a season (nine in 2006). Later stints with the Indianapolis Colts (2015-2017), Miami Dolphins (2018), Buffalo Bills (2019), and New York Jets (2020) saw him maintain productivity, surpassing legends like Jim Brown and Barry Sanders on the all-time rushing list.
Gore’s career totals include 16,000 rushing yards (third all-time), 81 rushing touchdowns, 484 receptions for 3,985 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns across 241 games—the most ever by a running back. He holds NFL records for most seasons with 1,200 scrimmage yards (12) and consecutive seasons with 500+ rushing yards (16).
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Named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and winner of the 2017 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, Gore retired in 2022, signing a one-day contract with the 49ers, who inducted him into their Hall of Fame.
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Gore’s standout attributes were his exceptional durability, vision and physicality, allowing him to excel into his late 30s. He possessed great balance, quick cuts and the ability to break tackles consistently. He was a workhorse back: patient, powerful and elusive, with a north-south approach that wore down defenses through volume and consistency.
Featured image via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports