How long will there be a Frank Gore in the NFL?

With Frank Gore Jr. committing to Florida Atlantic, there is a decent chance that name will live on in the NFL for a long time to come.

Frank Gore has been the embodiment of longevity in the NFL and even when he calls it a career, there is a decent chance the veteran running back’s name could live on in the league for years to come.

Heading into his 15th season, Gore is fourth in the all-time rushing list and has set the standard for his son, Frank Gore Jr, who has taken the next step towards a career in the pros. A class of 2020 running back recruit, Gore Jr. has verbally committed to Florida Atlantic.

A three-star recruit, Gore Jr. has a long way to go before he can think about being drafted to the NFL. Yet if he is instilled with the same drive as his father – who succeeded in carving out an incredible pro career despite well-documented knee issues – then he has a very good chance of ensuring the Gore name remains in the NFL for a long time to come.

In committing to FAU, Gore Jr. is also landing with a programme that recently produced an NFL back. Devin Singletary was taken in this year’s draft by the Buffalo Bills and will ironically be a teammate to Gore Sr, a player the third-round rookie has received comparisons to.

Gore Jr. will be out to replicate Singletary’s success with the Owls and follow in the footsteps of his father. There figures to be at least a small gap between the end of Gore Sr’s pro career and the start of Gore Jr’s. Gore Sr. is 36 and, while his determination to keep playing is not in question, the desire of NFL teams to keep paying a back with 3,382 carries worth of tread on the tires certainly is.

But if Gore Jr. makes the most of his opportunity in FAU, the likelihood is we will see another Frank Gore on an NFL roster. How long the name remains in the league will hinge on whether his longevity is anything close to that of his dad, whose reliability has helped him build a strong case for the Hall of Fame.