Patriots running back Brandon Bolden salutes the career of Bills counterpart Frank Gore

FOXBORO — Patriots tailback Brandon Bolden has experienced enough violent collisions along the line of scrimmage to appreciate the longevity of Bills featured ball carrier Frank Gore.

Gore, 36, is in his 15th NFL season, will appear in his 214th game and make his 199th start when the Bills (3-0) host the Patriots (3-0) in a clash for first place in the AFC East on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y. Those numbers are testament to Gore’s durability at a position that has an average NFL shelf life of less than three seasons.

Gore and Bolden shared the backfield duties in Miami last season and both were significant contributors to the Dolphins’ 34-33 upset win over the Patriots in December.

Gore rambled through the Patriots’ defense for 92 yards while Bolden rushed for 60 on a pair of carries that included a 54-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter.

“I actually had the pleasure of spending last year with Frank and got to pick his brain a little bit,” Bolden said. “Frank is a phenomenal player and a phenomenal man and I kind of picked up on some of the things he’s picked up on in the past 14 years.

“I think it has been very remarkable that he has been able to stay healthy and everything like that. Hats off to him because he’s been doing it longer than any player I have known.”

Gore was the San Francisco 49ers’ third-round pick in the 2005 NFL draft after a stellar collegiate career at Miami. He played 10 seasons with the 49ers and hung around long enough to become their all-time leader in rushing yards (11,073) and rushing touchdowns (64).

He played three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, providing ground cover for quarterback Andrew Luck, followed by one campaign with the Dolphins before signing with the Bills.

Gore is one of seven players from the 2005 draft still active and the second most accomplished behind Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He is the Bills’ leading ball carrier this season with 164 yards and currently is fourth behind Detroit’s Barry Sanders (15,269) on the NFL all-time rushing list with 14,912 yards.

Gore has averaged 4.4 yards per carry with 79 touchdowns. He complements his ground game with 459 receptions for 3,824 yards and 18 touchdowns.

“I have been fortunate to have been around many great running backs in my career and Frank definitely fits that mold,” Bolden said. “He is a hard-working guy and even though this is year 96 for him, he still treats it like his first one.

“As much experience as he has, he’s still one of the hardest workers out there. He goes in there and does it all and hats off to him. He carved it all into his craft to become the running back he is today.”

Gore’s admiration society in the Patriots locker room extends to the guys responsible for limiting his gains.

“The best part about him is he hasn’t said a word,” Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. “Not a talker, he’s about action.

“That’s someone I hope kids look (up) to and look after his game. It’s been really impressive.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2nnpIUo