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He won’t play for the Jets in Sunday’s season finale against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
There’s a good chance he’ll never play for the Jets again – or anyone else for that matter.
When the Jets 2-13 wrap up their miserable 2020 season on Sunday, veteran running back Frank Gore will be back home to treat the bruised lung he suffered in last week’s game against the Browns.
But Gore, 37, has left his mark on every Jets player he’s touched this season. He was a gift for young players who got a taste of what it takes to be a professional athlete.
In a brutal game that gnaws and spits back at running backs as the current US President belches tweets, Gore has been the ultimate survivor.
The NFL is an acronym for National Football League as much as for “not for long,” with an average career of 3.3 years. For running backs, that number is even lower – a career expectancy of 2.57 years.
Gore has played 16 years, 241 games, ran the ball 3,735 times for exactly 16,000 yards with 81 touchdowns.
Gore’s 48 rushing yards against the Browns last week left him behind only career Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton (16,726).
If you listen to those whose lives he touched, it’s pretty clear that Gore’s greatness extends far beyond his staggering numbers.
“He’s a great football player, but even a better person,” said Ty Johnson, the Jets running back, 23. “This is the model for a professional athlete. ”
Guard Greg Van Roten called what Gore did “amazing,” adding, “He does everything physically and mentally to prepare… and he takes the others with him. Sharing a locker room with Frank was a real experience. As an O-linemen we were very aware of that 16,000 yard mark. Each week it was, “How many more yards does Frank need? What should we bring it to?
“He punched him in the face and I couldn’t be happier for him. ”
Indeed, Gore’s last run of the season – as a Jet and quite possibly his career – went for a 4-yard gain in the fourth quarter against the Browns. Those yards gave him 16,000 for his career.
It’s unclear if this was the play he suffered from the bruised lung on, but Gore didn’t perform another after that.
“Frank was an inspiration to all of us,” said quarterback Sam Darnold. “He’s just a special player, a special human being. He was put on this earth to play football. It was amazing to watch him play and I’m proud to call him a teammate and a friend. ”
Coach Adam Gase, who was first around Gore in 2008 as the 49ers’ offensive assistant and then brought him to Miami, said he believed Gore “had an impact on everyone who surrounded him in the building, be it a player, a coach or a staff member. ‘
Gore isn’t the first Hall of Fame player to play for the Jets in the twilight of his career.
Assuming he is ultimately voted into Hall (of the 16 career best rushers, all except Gore and Adrian Peterson, who is also still active, are also), Gore will be the eighth Hall of Famer to have had a cup of coffee. with the Jets at the end of their career since 1993.
Safety Ronnie Lott played for the Jets in 1993 and 94 after 10 seasons in San Francisco and two in Oakland, ending his career with the Jets.
Wide receiver Art Monk played for the 1994 Jets after 14 seasons in Washington and played one more season in Philadelphia before retiring.
Safety Steve Atwater played for the 1999 Jets after 10 years in Denver, ending his career in New York.
Quarterback Brett Favre played for the Jets in 2008 after 16 seasons in Green Bay, then played two more in Minnesota before retiring.
Running back LaDanian Tomlinson played for the Jets in 2010 and 2011 after nine seasons in San Diego and ended his career as a Jet.
Safety Ed Reed played the last seven games of the 2013 season with the Jets after 11 seasons in Baltimore and the first game of season 13 in Houston, and his last game in the NFL was as a Jet.
Defensive end Jason Taylor played for the Jets in 2010 after 12 seasons in Miami and one in Washington, and he ended his career with one more year in Miami before retiring.
All seven of these players were elected to the Hall of Fame.
Gore, as soon as he is eligible, will have his own bust there too.
When asked if he expected Gore to continue playing or hang up after this season, Gase said: “I said that a long time ago: ‘Never doubt Frank Gore.’ ”
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