Frank Gore Franklin Gore ( born May 14 , 1983 ) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Miami , and was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft . Throughout his eight - year NFL career , Gore has often been ranked among the best running backs playing the game , having been selected to four Pro Bowls and achieving four straight seasons with 1 , 000 rushing yards , among his 6 total . While achieving some personal success , he struggled with a team that suffered numerous losing seasons until he and the 49ers achieved a 13 - 3 record in the 2011 season under new head coach Jim Harbaugh . In 2011 , the 49ers won the NFC West division and reached the NFC championship game . In 2012 , Gore helped lead the 49ers to Super Bowl 47 . On December 30 , 2012 , Gore became the 49ers all - time leader in rushing touchdowns with 51 . Early years . Gore was born in Miami , Florida , and grew up in Coconut Grove , Florida . He attended Coral Gables High School , where he excelled as a running back . He had two notable record - breaking games . Against Miami Northwestern High School , he had a then career high 293 yards and two touchdowns . In the next game , he broke that record with 319 yards and six touchdowns . During his senior year in 2000 , Gore broke several Dade County single - season records , including rushing yards ( 2 , 953 ) and touchdowns ( 34 ) . Heavily recruited , he was named the No . 3 prospect in Dade County by " The Miami Herald " , as well as No . 4 in Florida and No . 18 nationally . While emerging as a talented football prospect , Gore also focused his attention on improving his academics and assisting his mother , who was battling kidney disease and had started dialysis treatments . To remain close to home , Gore eventually chose to attend the University of Miami . College career . As a true freshman for the University of Miami in 2001 , Gore totaled 575 yards with 5 touchdowns on 62 carries ( a 9 . 3 - yard avg ) , the third - best season total in school history by a freshman and was named Sporting News ' Big East Freshman of the Year . He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee before spring practice in 2002 and spent the following season recovering from knee surgery . Before his injury that year , Gore beat out Willis McGahee in the spring of 2002 for the role as the Hurricanes ' starting running back . Gore returned in 2003 and rushed for 100 yards in each of his first three games of the season . He also returned for his senior year in 2004 , when his cousin , Kim Gibson , asked him to change his uniform number from # 32 to # 3 for better luck . He then ran for nearly 1 , 000 yards during the season . In 28 total games with the Hurricanes , Gore rushed 380 times for 1 , 975 yards ( a 5 . 7 rushing average ) and seventeen touchdowns . His 1 , 975 yards rank seventh on the school ' s career - record list and his seventeen scores are tied for tenth . He also caught 23 passes for 225 yards ( 9 . 8 avg ) , returned two kickoffs for 48 yards and recorded five tackles on special teams . Professional career . 2005 NFL Draft . Gore was selected 65th overall in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the 49ers . Gore scored a 6 on the Wonderlic test prior to being drafted . 2005 season . Gore played in 14 games , starting one . He was inactive for two contests with a groin injury . He finished the season seventh among all NFL rookie running backs in rushing average with 4 . 8 average per run . He led the team in rushing with 608 yards on 127 carries and three rushing touchdowns . Gore also caught 15 passes for 131 yards . The last time a rookie led the 49ers in rushing was 1990 , when Dexter Carter paced the team with 460 yards . His 608 yards rushing was the highest for a 49ers rookie since Roger Craig had 725 yards rushing in 1983 . He rushed for 17 yards on four carries and caught two passes for 21 yards in his first game against the St . Louis Rams . He later rushed for 42 yards on seven carries with a 5 . 4 - yard average against the Dallas Cowboys . He led the team with nine carries on 89 yards and recorded a then career - long 72 - yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter at the Washington Redskins . The touchdown was the longest run from scrimmage by a 49ers player since running back Kevan Barlow took one 78 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers . The touchdown run was fifth - longest run from scrimmage by a 49ers rookie . He led the team in rushing for the third straight week with 5 yards on 15 carries ( . 7 avg . ) at the Chicago Bears , with a 19 - yard long . He made his first NFL start against the Jacksonville Jaguars , amassing over 100 combined yards with 79 yards rushing on 19 attempts for a 4 . 2 yard average with three receptions for 57 yards . Gore had his first two - touchdown game against the St . Louis Rams , with a 10 - yard scoring run in the second quarter and a 30 - yard score in the fourth quarter . In a game against the Houston Texans , he registered his first 100 - yard game with 108 yards on 25 carries . Following the season , he had major surgery on both shoulders . 2006 season . Gore was elevated to the top of the San Francisco 49ers ' depth chart following the August 19 , 2006 trade that shipped incumbent starter Kevan Barlow to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth - round draft pick . He emerged as one of the top running backs in the NFL in his first full season as the starter . Gore carried the ball 312 times for a franchise record 1 , 695 yards , eclipsing Garrison Hearst ’ s 1998 record of 1 , 570 yards . He became the first member of the 49ers to lead the NFC in rushing yards . He also set a franchise record with 2 , 180 combined yards ( 1 , 695 yards rushing and 485 yards receiving ) , breaking Hearst ’ s single season record of 2 , 105 total yards ( 1 , 570 rushing and 535 receiving ) set in 1998 . His total placed him second in the NFC to Steven Jackson ( 1 , 528 rushing and 806 receiving , 2 , 334 total ) and fourth overall in the entire NFL . In the 49ers ’ first meeting against the Seattle Seahawks , Gore set the 49ers ’ single - game rushing record by totaling 212 yards on 24 carries , besting the 201 yards by Charlie Garner on September 24 , 2000 against the Cowboys . Gore had nine 100 - yard rushing games in 2006 , giving him ten for his career . His nine 100 - yard games in 2006 shattered the franchise record for most 100 - yard games in a season . Garrison Hearst ( 1998 ) and Roger Craig ( 1988 ) each had six 100 - yard games in a season . Gore was the first 49ers running back to have three - straight 100 yard games since Garrison Hearst had a 49ers - record four straight 100 - yard games during a stretch in 1998 . In those three weeks , Gore set the team record for most rushing yards in a three - game span . His breakaway ability helped him finish the season with 5 . 4 yards per carry , placing him third in the entire NFL , behind only Michael Vick ( 8 . 4 YPC on 123 carries ) and Maurice Jones - Drew ( 5 . 7 YPC on 166 carries ) . The 5 . 4 yards per carry are tied for the second best in 49ers history . Among players with over 300 carries , however , Gore ’ s season puts him in elite company . Very few times has a player averaged as many yards per carry as Gore did , while carrying the ball over 300 times . The players ahead of him are all Hall of Famer s and feature three , 2 , 000 - yard rushing seasons . He finished with eight rushing touchdowns , tied for the third most in a season by a 49er . Gore finished the season with 61 receptions , which led the team . Only two other teams had a running back as their leading receiver : New Orleans ( Reggie Bush ) and Philadelphia ( Brian Westbrook ) . Of those , only Gore and Westbrook also led their team in rushing . He also caught his first receiving touchdown of his career at Seattle , when Alex Smith avoided a sack and found Gore along the left sideline for a 20 - yard score . He led the NFL with 16 rushes for 20 or more yards . Gore earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice during the 2006 season . He grabbed the honor in Week 5 after rushing for 134 yards on 27 carries , and catching 3 passes for 38 yards , against the Oakland Raiders . He also won in Week 11 after his franchise record 212 rushing yards , and 26 yards on 4 receptions , against Seattle . After Gore ’ s tremendous season , he was named the starting running back to the NFC Pro Bowl team . It was Gore ’ s first selection to the Pro Bowl . Gore had benefited that season from the tutelage of then - offensive coordinator Norv Turner , whose offensive scheme places a heavy emphasis on running the football . Though Gore had fumbling problems at the beginning of the season , losing the ball once in each of the first four games , he improved his carrying and only fumbled three more times the rest of the year . 2007 season . Gore signed a contract extension through 2011 estimated to be worth $ 28 million over four years on March 28 , 2007 . He also stated that it is his goal to surpass Eric Dickerson ' s single - season rushing record in 2007 . He said that he would gain 2 , 200 yards . Gore broke a bone in his hand in the non - contact Training Camp drill on July 30 and missed the entire preseason . On September 13 , Gore ' s mother died , due to a kidney disease . He missed a practice , but returned to the team and scored two touchdowns the following Sunday in a 17 - 16 win over the St . Louis Rams . Gore ' s best game came against the Arizona Cardinals where he came up with 116 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns . He finished the season with 1 , 102 rushing yards and 436 receiving yards . 2008 season . Gore began the 2008 season against the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals , where he rushed for 96 yards on only 14 carries . Despite his impressive performance , which also included a 41 yard touchdown run , the 49ers lost , 23 - 13 . In Week 3 , he dominated the Detroit Lions , rushing for over 120 yards with a touchdown in a 31 - 13 victory . The following week against the New Orleans Saints , Gore outrushed Reggie Bush , although the 49ers were defeated , 31 - 17 . In Week 6 , Gore had his second 100 yard game of the season , as he rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries in a 40 - 26 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles . In a Week 17 match - up against the visiting Washington Redskins , Gore became the first running back in 49ers history to rush for 1 , 000 yards or more in three straight seasons . 2009 season . Gore entered the 2009 season under the guidance of new running back coach Tom Rathman . He was also complemented by a new second - string back , 49ers ' third - round draft pick Glen Coffee . After being nearly shut down in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals , Gore had a career day the following week in the home opener versus the Seattle Seahawks . Gore rushed for 206 yards for a 12 . 8 - yard average , including a 79 - and an 80 - yard touchdown run , becoming the second player in NFL history to rush for two touchdowns for 75 yards or more in a single game , with the other being hall - of - fame running back Barry Sanders . Maurice Jones - Drew would become the third running back to also rush for two touchdowns for 75 yards in a single game . After missing his next two games against the St . Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons due to an ankle injury , Gore returned in Week 7 against the Houston Texans . While he had a successful game against the Chicago Bears in Week 10 , gaining 104 yards with a touchdown , he was used less in the 49ers ' offensive game plan in the following three weeks , after the team adopted more of a spread offense . In the 49ers ' second game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 , however , Gore had one of his most successful games of the season , rushing for 167 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown . In the 49ers ' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 16 of the season , Gore had 16 carries for 107 yards against an Eagles team that had not given up a 100 - yard game in 22 consecutive games . Gore was named a first alternate for the 2009 Pro Bowl . On January 20 , 2010 , Steven Jackson announced he would not be playing in the Pro Bowl because of injury , so Gore was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl in his spot , the second of his career . 2010 season . Gore fractured his right hip in a Week 12 win over the Arizona Cardinals , ending his season after the 49ers put him on IR . 2011 season . Gore agreed to a three - year extension on August 30 , 2011 . Worth $ 25 . 9 million , the extension will keep Gore with the San Francisco 49ers through the 2014 season . During the offseason , the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh to be their new head coach , applying itself a combination of a great running game , a supplemental passing game and a power house defense . This combination proved to be effective for Gore and the 49ers , leading them to a 13 - 3 record in the regular season and a playoff spot for the 49ers , their first since 2002 along with a first round bye . In the first three games of the season , Gore did not perform well , rushing for 148 yards on 59 carries for only 1 touchdown . However , after week 3 , this changed . In week 4 , the 49ers where down 23 - 3 at the end of the first half when quarterback Alex Smith and Gore both lead drives to make the end score 24 - 23 and a 49ers win . Gore rushed for 127 yards and rushed for the game winning touchdown when four minutes were left in the game . Against the Buccaneers , Gore rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown in the 48 - 3 win for the 49ers . However , his performance in that game was eclipsed by his performance against the Detroit Lions , where he rushed a season high of 141 yards in 15 carries and a touchdown in a 25 - 19 win for the 49ers , ruining the Lions 5 - 0 start . The next few games went pretty well for Gore , rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns and 107 yards against the Redskins , becoming the 49ers record holder of most consecutive games with a 100 yards ( 5 ) . However , against the Giants , Gore had an unmemorable performance , rushing for 0 yards and leaving in the second half with a knee injury . This was Gore ' s first game with 0 rushing yards . He would return the next game , where he would redeem himself against the Arizona Cardinals , where he rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown . Next week , however , he rushed for only 39 yards against the Ravens powerful defense in 49ers 6 - 16 loss . The next game , however , proved to be a 49ers win against the St . Louis Rams , where Gore became the 49ers ' all time leading rusher , surpassing Joe Perry ; he rushed for 73 yards on the game . The next week Gore performed well despite losing the game 19 - 21 , rushing for 78 yards and the 49ers only touchdown . He manage to finished the season on a high note , with a three game winning streak , including one against the Steelers , where he rushed 65 yards and a touchdown . He finished the season with 1 , 211 yards , having had five season with at least 1 , 000 rushing yards . During the playoffs , Gore performed exceedingly well , helping the 49ers set up a touchdown by rushing for 42 yards in the divisional round vs . the Saints ; he had a total of 89 yards in the game . During the NFC Championship , Gore rushed for 74 yards against the New York Giants . 2012 Season . The 2012 season started with a huge performance against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field with 112 yards with a score in a 30 - 22 San Francisco win . In week 4 against the New York Jets he had 64 yards along with a touchdown in a 34 - 0 blowout win in New York . The next week he had 106 yards and another score in 45 - 3 win against the Buffalo Bills . In week 7 he was the crucial player in a San Francisco 13 - 6 win against division rivals Seattle Seahawks with 131 yards rushing in 16 carries and 51 yards in 5 receptions . He then had a 7 game streak with 50 rushing yards or more until it was snapped against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle in a 42 - 13 loss . He ended the season with 1214 yards in 258 carries and 8 touchdowns . He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl , his sixth appearance . In the playoffs , the 49ers faced the Green Bay Packers once again , this time in Candlestick Park . He had 119 yards and a score ( his quarterback , Colin Kaepernick , had 181 yards rushing , the most by a quarterback in a single game ever ) . Then the San Francisco 49ers visited Georgia Dome to play against the top seeded Atlanta Falcons . The game was completely dominated in the first quarter by the Falcons with receiver Julio Jones having 100 yards and the 49ers - 2 . They went 24 - 14 to halftime with the Falcons leading . The game would end up with the San Francisco 49ers winning 28 - 24 with Navorro Bowman making the defensive play to stop the Falcons in 4th down inside the 49ers 10 yard line . During the NFC semifinals , Frank Gore had 90 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in the comeback win , allowing the 49ers to enter Super Bowl XLVII , their first Super Bowl entry since 1994 .