Frank Gore moves into top ten in NFL history in career rushing yards

One thing we know about Frank Gore is that he’s all about one thing: winning. So to say he’s happy right now would probably be inaccurate, but at the same time he had a very memorable day individually despite the Colts’ loss.

That’s because Gore moved into the top ten in NFL history in career rushing yards today with his 68 yard performance (he averaged 4.3 yards per rush and also scored a touchdown).

Gore entered the day in 13th place in NFL history, but he proceeded to pass Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James, and then Marshall Faulk as he climbed the NFL’s rushing ranks. Next up? Jim Brown at number nine, as Gore is just 20 rushing yards away from passing the Hall of Famer. He’s also within reach of passing Tony Dorsett this year for eighth place, as he needs 447 more yards to do so. Gore is 967 yards away from passing Eric Dickerson for seventh place.

Here’s the current NFL all-time rushing ranks, updated to account for Gore’s climb:

1. Emmitt Smith - 18,385

2. Walter Payton - 16,726

3. Barry Sanders - 15,269

4. Curtis Martin - 14,101

5. LaDainian Tomlinson - 13,684

6. Jerome Bettis - 13,662

7. Eric Dickerson - 13,259

8. Tony Dorsett - 12,739

9. Jim Brown - 12,312

10. Frank Gore - 12,293

11. Marshall Faulk - 12,279

12. Edgerrin James - 12,246

13. Marcus Allen - 12,243

The veteran has certainly had a remarkable career in the NFL, and while today was the day that finally launched him into the top ten, it’s been something he’s been working toward since his very first carry. In his 12-year career (ten of which were with the San Francisco 49ers), Gore has played in 168 games and rushed for 12,293 yards and 72 touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He has also added 389 receptions for 3,216 yards and 13 touchdowns, giving him 15,509 total yards from scrimmage in his career. In that regard, he moved past Randy Moss for 14th all-time today. As Niners Nation pointed out, Gore is on pace for 1,276 yards from scrimmage this year and if he did that he’d have 16,466 for his career - which would move him into tenth place all-time in that category too.

Frank Gore seems to be building quite the Hall of Fame case as he continues to play, as he’s now in the top ten all-time in rushing yards (and climbing!) and is within striking distance of the top-ten in total yards from scrimmage. He’ll be remembered as a 49er and accomplished the bulk of his success there, but it’s still nice to see him achieve these career milestones with the Colts - even if it’s in a losing effort.