INDIANAPOLIS – Frank Gore wasn't even two years old the last time an NFL player did what he's on the verge of accomplishing this weekend.
The year was 1984.
Gore was a year and a half old.
In '84, with Gore barely walking, future Hall of Fame running back John Riggins was running for 1,000 yards at the age of 34.
Since 1984, not a single NFL running back at least 33 years of age has climbed to the top of the 1,000-yard mountain.
Gore is on the verge of ending that drought.
With 36 rushing yards this Sunday, Gore will have 1,000 for the season. Gore enters Week 17 with 247 carries for 964 yards on the season (3.9 yards per carry).
How likely is Gore to get the 36 yards he needs on Sunday? Gore has had at least 37 rushing yards in every game Andrew Luck has started this season.
"A guy that puts that much into the game," center Ryan Kelly says of the man he blocks for, "we want him to get as many yards as possible."
Sunday will be Gore's 92nd consecutive start. The next closest running back to him has 20 straight starts (Arizona's David Johnson and Atlanta's Devonta Freeman).
Gore can show on Sunday that he's still much more than a guy with an extremely rare trait of availability.
"He's as natural of a runner as I've ever been around," offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski says. "A guy that just has great instincts and vision. He sees cracks and creases happen before they even open up. Sometimes you watch tape and you're like, 'Why did he go over there?' All of a sudden a hole opens up that he knew was going to open up.
"He has great feet. He can get in and out of the hole and burst. He's maybe not the fastest guy that's played the position, but can burst and squeeze and find ways and skinny himself and get through small, tight areas."
A closer look at an NFL record Gore has already achieved this season, and what he still could accomplish:
- With 36 rushing yards, Gore would become the first NFL running back at the age of 33 or older to rush for 1,000 yards since John Riggins in 1984.
- A 1,000-yard season for Gore would be the first Colts running back since Joseph Addai in 2007 to accomplish the feat.
- With 85 scrimmage yards last week, Gore eclipsed 1,200 for the season which marks his 11th consecutive season with at least 1,200 scrimmage yards, which is an NFL record. Gore moved past Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith as the only players to reach 1,200 scrimmage yards in 10 seasons.
- With 1,000 rushing yards this season, Gore would join Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (11), Curtis Martin (10), Walter Payton (10) and Barry Sanders (10) as the only players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in at least nine different seasons.
