Bills Running Back Frank Gore Joins Emmitt Smith in Record Books

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore is known as the Inconvenient Truth after putting together a [...]

By John Newby

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore is known as the Inconvenient Truth after putting together a long career of consistent production. At 36 years old, the former San Francisco 49ers draft pick from 2005 should have seen his career come to an end roughly a half-decade ago, but he is still producing. And on Sunday, Gore achieved something that only one other running back in NFL history has ever done. He started 200 games in his career.

According to ESPN, the only other running back in NFL history to start 200 games in his career was Emmitt Smith, the former Dallas Cowboys running back who spent 15 seasons in the league after leaving the University of Florida. Smith started 219 games in a career spent with both the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. In 2010, he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Gore is currently in the midst of his 15th season in the league and is still producing. His 60 yards were integral to the Bills' victory in Nashville on Sunday, especially late in the fourth quarter as the offense was burning the clock.

Throughout his career, Gore has found ways to continue producing, no matter what team he is playing for. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight separate seasons during his time with the San Francisco 49ers despite playing on teams that were viewed as largely uncompetitive. Even when quarterback Alex Smith struggled, Gore produced.

Once he turned 30 years old, the belief was that Gore would no longer be an effective runner. After all, this age is when the majority of running backs fell off the proverbial cliff before ultimately retiring. However, he added another 1,000-yard season as a member of the Indianapolis Colts in 2016, becoming the first player in the franchise to achieve this feat since Joseph Addai in 2007.

Since joining the Bills during the offseason, Gore has stepped into the starting role once again. Former starter LeSean McCoy was released, which opened the door for Gore and rookie Devin Singletary to lead the way. And while the rookie was expected to be a top option for the Bills, he has only appeared in two games while dealing with an injury. meanwhile, Gore has simply put up over 300 yards and increased his career total to 15,081 yards.

After five games in this 2019 campaign, Gore has become only the fourth player in NFL history to rush for more than 15,000 yards in their career, and he is well within reach of passing Barry Sanders (15,269) to move into third place on the all-time list. He may not be able to catch Smith, who holds the all-time record with 18,355 yards, but Gore can at least take solace in the fact that only he and Smith have managed to start 200 games.

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