Colts Gush About Frank Gore, As Grizzled Veteran Running Back Grinds On

Entering his 12th NFL season, Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore continues to overcome the odds by remaining highly productive despite playing one of the game’s most physically demanding positions.

At age 33, Gore is a modern day dinosaur for today’s NFL, yet he remains one of the better running backs in football–having recently rushed for 967 yards and 6 touchdowns this past season.

While Gore fell just short of 1,000+ rushing yards last season, his track record speaks for itself, as he’s rushed over the 1k barrier in 8 of his 11 career NFL seasons.

Not to mention, his durability has been exemplary as Gore has only missed 1 start in the past 5 seasons despite withstanding a high number of physical blows over the years.

Currently, Gore is the NFL’s 15th all-time career rushing leader with 12,040 career rushing yards, but needs just 700 rushing yards to pass Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett for 8th on the league’s leading list.

The veteran running back has shown no signs of slowing down; however, as Gore has once again looked impressive during Colts training camp–with coaches and teammates only offering high praise:

"“As good as he’s ever looked since he’s been with us,” praised Chuck Pagano Friday on how Gore’s looked at training camp. “Came back in phenomenal shape. Mindset is what it needs to be, and he looks awesome.”"

Pagano wasn’t alone in his assessment, as Gore’s backfield partner in crime, Andrew Luck, shared a similar sentiment–acknowledging that the veteran workhorse remains an ageless wonder:

"Jul 27, 2016; Anderson, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) hands off to running back Frank Gore (23) during training camp at Anderson University. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kryger/Indianapolis Star via USA TODAY Sports“I think Frank defies all of those stereotypes about an aging running back,” said Luck on Friday at training camp. “He must have the fountain of youth down in South Florida that he visits (chuckles). Incredible.”“One he works his butt off, so it’s not surprising that he’s always in shape and ready to go–and runs as hard as he does. Not just running the ball, but the thing that I admire so much about him is his knowledge of the game and his pass protection skills.”“He’s an incredible asset to this team. I think he’s one of those guys that 30 or 40 years from now I’ll be able to tell kids, grandkids, that I got to play with Frank Gore.”"

As a 5x Pro Bowler and one of the NFL’s all-time great running backs, Gore has little else to actually accomplish. However, the veteran running back is still looking for that elusive Lombardi Trophy–something that clearly still drives him to play the game at a high level:

"“I love the game,” answered Gore on Friday at training camp regarding why he still plays the game of football. “I love the game, and I want a Super Bowl.”"

While Gore understands that the franchise hasn’t had a 1,000 yard rusher since Joseph Addai accomplished the feat back in 2007, he’s more concerned about the Colts earning championship hardware–as everything else is purely secondary:

"“I just want to win, if it comes, it comes,” added Gore on reaching 1,000 rushing yards this season. “I’m just here to do whatever it takes to get into the playoffs and try to fight to get that trophy.”"

The old warhorse insists that while his rushing game is far from flashy, he still hasn’t lost anything from his younger years and that there remains plenty of tread on his tires:

"“If I felt differently, I wouldn’t play the game,” replied Gore on whether he’s lost anything due to age. “That’s why I train so hard to make sure that when I come to camp, I can go everyday. Go hard everyday, and I can compete with the guys that I’m up and competing against.”"

As such, it looks as though Gore will continue to grind on for the Colts ground game–leaving coaches and teammates only to gush over his continued greatness.