Colts running back Frank Gore, with only 700 rushing yards, will find himself as No. 8 on the all-time NFL rushing yardage list. That will provide plenty of motivation. His spot on another list still gives him motivation, more than a decade later.
“When I was coming out I had injuries,” Gore told reporters on Friday. “Me, I like people doubting me. I go even harder and I love proving people wrong. When I was the sixth [running] back taken, I made sure I told myself I would be the best one out of all of them.”
He clearly is. Gore’s accomplishments become even more impressive when considering that his draft year of 2005 had three running backs picked in the top five: Ronnie Brown (by the Dolphins), Cedric Benson (by the Bears), and Cadillac Williams (by the Buccaneers).
The other two running backs selected before Gore in round three had their names called in round two: J.J. Arrington of the Cardinals and Eric Shelton of the Panthers. (Although the question that sparked Gore’s response called him the “last guy standing” at his position from 2005, Darren Sproles also was taken that year, by the Chargers in round four. Sproles signed a contract extension with the Eagles earlier today.)
The five taken before Gore had combined career rushing yards of 16,123. Gore has 12,040 and counting — including more than twice the amount of the guy with the second most (Benson, who had 6,017).
Most glaringly, the last running back taken before Gore, Eric Shelton, had 23 total rushing yards in his career. Gore could beat that number by the end of the first quarter of his current team’s first game of 2016.