INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Gore has worked in the 49ers’ front office in an advisory role for nearly a year.
But that does not mean his namesake gets the privilege of any inside information.
“Nah, he can’t do that,” said Frank Gore Jr., a draft prospect at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He just helps me become a pro. Nothing inside, though.”
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Gore is a running back, just like his father.
His dad was a third-round draft pick of the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft. The younger Gore figures to be a Day 3 selection.
Gore Jr. said he took part in an informal interview with the 49ers this week at the combine. He has talked to his dad only in passing this week but figures to spend time with him after he completes his workouts on Saturday.
Frank Gore, the original, likely will be watching alongside 49ers general manager John Lynch at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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Gore, 40, played the first 10 seasons of his 16-year NFL career with the 49ers. He is the organization’s all-time rushing leader. Gore retired following the 2020 NFL season as the No. 3 rusher in league history. He piled up 16,000 yards on the ground, ranking behind only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton in NFL history.
“For the first part of his career, I was pretty young,” Gore Jr. said. “But as I got older I started to understand this is not normal. It definitely seemed pretty wild to me that he was still doing it. Even at the end of his career, he was still doing it at a high level.”
Gore set a good example for his son with his maniacal work habits and discipline to follow the same routine.
“All day, all year, it never stops with him,” Gore Jr. said. “The treatment, the guy’s like a robot. I’ve seen it all, so I’m going to try to take those same steps so I can hopefully have close to the same career.”
The younger Gore explained why he refers to his dad as a robot.
“Same schedule every day,” he explained. “Same sleep schedule. He’s going to bed at the same time. He’s going to take the same steps. Each and every day of the week is going to be the same thing. I can get better (at that), but I’m trying for sure.”
Now, there’s a new Frank Gore on the verge of becoming an NFL player.
Gore Jr. was a largely overlooked prep prospect who ended up at Southern Mississippi, where he gained 4,022 yards rushing and scored 30 touchdowns in his four-year career.
He set the FBS bowl game record when he rushed for 329 yards in a 38-24 victory over Rice in the LendingTree Bowl in December 2022.
Not surprisingly, the most-common comparison for the young Gore is his father. And that is something the draft prospect recognizes while also pointing out some differences in their styles.
“I’m pretty similar to my dad,” he said. “We have our similarities, but we also have our differences. He groomed me, so of course we’re similar.
“I’d say I’m more agile. A little more lateral movement. He’s more of a thumper. Other than that, we’re pretty similar.”
Because he and his dad share the same name, there will always be comparisons. Gore Jr. knows that, understands that and does not blink.
“It’s a blessing and an opportunity,” he said. “I’m not going to shy away from my name. I am who I am. It’s a blessing to have his name. So I wouldn’t say I’m not happy to have his name. He had his name and he made it what it is. Now I have the responsibility to take it further.”
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