Frank Gore may not necessarily look like he’s having a ball, while he drags his 36-year-old body through his 15th NFL training camp.
But he says he is, and because he’s Frank Gore, you believe him.
“I feel good, man,” Gore told Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. “I’m blessed to be playing a game that I still love at the age that a lot of people say you can’t play it. I’m doing something I love. I’m enjoying it.”
Gore’s not given to hyperbole, and when asked why he’s still doing this, answered simply: “I’m still having fun.”
Of course, the situation is unusual for one of the most decorated backs in league history.
Gore’s fourth on the all-time rushing list, with a shot of moving to third if he approaches last year’s numbers in Miami (Barry Sanders is 521 yards ahead of him, and Gore ran for 722 with the Dolphins last year).
But he said he’s mainly driven by “competing with Shady,” as the Bills have taken great pains to insist LeSean McCoy was still their starter despite coming off his worst season. If nothing else, the Bills have a reliable insurance policy in place. General Manager Brandon Beane said he had to take the emotion out of his evaluation, and realized upon watching film that the guy who is one of the most respected pros in the game can still get it done.
“But beyond the person, you still have to watch the film, you’ve still got to be able to play the game,” Beane said. “And I said, ‘When I watch this, I’ve got to take away his age and who it is. I’ve got to watch this player as if I don’t see GORE on his back and know that he’s mid-30s.’ And I saw a guy who, until he injured his foot late in the year, was very productive for (the Dolphins), who was their lead back a lot of times, and was still contributing and playing.
“I don’t want to put a number [on what he expects from Gore], but I think at the end of the day, if we needed him to be the lead back for games or whatever, he could do it. I have no doubt. He wants the ball. This guy’s competitive. He wants it on first down, second down. We did a pass-pro drill, he’s sticking his face right in there. He’s going to be ready if we want him 10 times a game, 20 times a game, whatever. If we needed him to be a workhorse back for us, I think he could still do it.”
And because he’s Frank Gore, there’s no reason not to believe that.