The San Francisco 49ers shut out the St. Louis Rams on Sunday to improve to 10-2 on the season and clinch their first playoff berth since 2002, but a far more noteworthy milestone was met and surpassed during the course of that game.
49ers running back Frank Gore passed Hall of Famer Joe Perry as the all-time leader in rushing yards for the San Francisco franchise. Gore entered the game in second place behind Perry's career total of 7,344, but broke that mark with a two-yard run in the second quarter.
It is interesting that in football, there is often no fanfare for events like this, particularly when records are broken in such a manner. In baseball or hockey, for example, it is possible to halt the game and have a small ceremony on the field to honor a personal achievement. On Gore's historical run, the chains didn't even move, seemingly just another run for a short gain.
It was much more than that, of course. Gore would finish the game with 73 yards on 21 carries and stand alone in first place on the all-time rushing list for San Francisco players with 7,396 yards. Quite an achievement.
Following the game, Gore seemed awed by his own accomplishment and had this to say:
"Yes it feels great. It is a blessing. I first have to say thanks to the man up above for letting me do something that I love to do and to have my name being mentioned with some of the guys who were here before me. I also have to give a shout out to all of my o-linemen that have helped me get this record. The ones who are here now and the ones who were here before. All of the coaches. It is just a blessing and I am happy. The main thing that I am happy about is that I get the opportunity to play in the post season."
Many San Francisco fans will surely be echoing his sentiment, as they're also thankful for the playoff berth. Moreover, they're thankful they've had a chance to see Frank Gore adapt and grow to become the all-time rushing leader for their favorite team.
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