Former 49er Frank Gore doesn't intend to slow down with Dolphins

DAVIE, Florida - Frank Gore realizes he's wrapping up an accomplished 13-year career, one in which he silenced his critics and could land him in the Hall of Fame.

But the Miami Dolphins' newest tailback isn't interested in merely being Kenyan Drake's mentor. He wants to earn a significant role in the Dolphins' offense.

“I'm going to show this organization that they picked the right guy bringing me in this year,” said Gore, who will be entering the University of Miami Hall of Fame Thursday.

“Some guys go to different teams and as they get older, they just want to ride the coattail of the younger guys. I don't want to do that,” said Gore, who has rushed for 14,026 yards in his 13 seasons. “I respect every man on this team, but I'm here to still play. I'm going to help the young guys, but I want to show my fans and family I can still be a top guy in this league.”

Gore's track record backs up those claims.

Gore, 34, spent his first 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and the last three with the Indianapolis Colts, where he rushed for 796 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and three touchdowns last season. He also caught 29 passes for 245 yards and one touchdown with the Colts last season. He has averaged 4.3 rushing yards per carry throughout his career.

He's fifth on the NFL all-time rushing list, just 75 yards behind No. 4 Curtis Martin, a Hall of Famer. Gore trails the No. 3 tailback, former Lions standout Barry Sanders, another Hall of Famer, by 1,243 rushing yards.

Gore doesn't view his Miami homecoming as his swan song, pointing out he hasn't thought about retirement, and won't as long as he feels he can still compete at a high level and teams are interested in his services.

“My kids get to see me every day. I get to see my oldest son's high school games. This will probably be my first time to see him really play since I've been in the NFL,” Gore said, referring to Frank Gore Jr., who will be a junior at Miami Killian in the fall. “To be back playing in front of my fans, the city I grew up in, is big, and I'm happy for it.”

Gore's goal is to use his South Florida homecoming to push for playing time, and possibly the starting spot.

“It's been 10 years since we've been together and the guy looks exactly the same,” coach Adam Gase said, referring to the 2008 season he spent as the 49ers' offensive assistant. “I'm excited to see what he can do to help us.”

Gore, who hasn't been a backup since his rookie season in San Francisco, said he's been given the green light to compete with Drake, who led the NFL in rushing yards in the final five games of the season, churning out 444 yards.

At worst, he'll be a change-of-pace option for Gase, who is committed to a tailback-by-committee approach that ideally utilizes two backs that complement one another.

Gore said Drake is a “great young man,” and pointed out the former University of Alabama backup Miami selected in the third-round of the 2016 draft has “a lot of tools.”

Gore is notorious for his vision, or as Don Soldinger, his former position coach at UM calls it, “his lamps,” which has allowed Gore to find running lanes and set up blocking from his offensive line.

“I'm not a talker. But I will show in practice the way I work and the way I love the game,” said Gore, who signed a one-year deal worth $1,015,000. “When training camp comes, all the guys in my running back room will see how hard I go every day. Once I start making plays here and playing good ball, then I'll feel like I have the right to talk in the locker room. Right now I'm a new face and I have to prove himself to this coaching staff and my teammates.”