Frank Gore passes Jim Brown for ninth overall on career rushing list
With just over a minute left in the first quarter of the Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Chicago Bears, Frank Gore ran off left tackle for 16 yards. It set up an eventual Colts touchdown, but on the grander scale, it marked a small but significant moment in NFL history: with that gain, Gore ran past the legendary Jim Brown for ninth all-time on the career rushing list.
Brown, still regarded as perhaps the greatest running back of all time, once held the NFL’s career rushing record, but in the intervening six decades, he’s now seen nine players pass him, though few if any with the grace and rage Brown could muster. He’s tough enough that he might just suit up to run a few downs and stay in the top 10; Adrian Peterson needs 587 yards to pass Brown. (For the record: Brown set his mark in 118 games; Gore is playing in his 169th.)
The usual “football careers are cruel and brief” note: Gore debuted for the San Francisco 49ers in 2005, and despite the fact that he’s just 33 in human years, he’s already getting fitted for a scooter for the Old Running Backs’ Home. He’s got a very good shot of catching Tony Dorsett at No. 8 (12,739 yards), and Eric Dickerson is next at 13,259 yards. Emmitt Smith leads all running backs at 18,355 yards all-time.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
