When the 49ers drafted running back Jordan James in Round 5, Frank Gore was sitting in the War Room, and he gave the pick his seal of approval.
After the draft, James was asked about Gore. Here's what James said.
Q: Jed York tweeted just before you were drafted that Frank Gore was a big fan of yours. What does that mean to you?
JAMES: “That means a lot. Just the caliber of player he was. That’s a Hall of Fame running back right there and just to get a compliment from him on my game, that means a lot.”
Q: Did you talk to him during this?
JAMES: “He is actually good friends with my old running back coach. So, he knows about me. He kept in touch with me, things like that.”
Q: And who is that coach?
JAMES: “Coach Carlos Locklyn.”
Q: I’m not asking you to liken yourself to Frank Gore at this point, but he is a guy who is not known as a speedster, but obviously he was very effective with his style. I’m sure you’ve heard you’re not the fastest running back, so are Gore and other running backs like that, guys who have patterned yourself after?
JAMES: “Yeah, for sure. I like to just watch running backs that kind of run similar to me. I tell everyone that I don’t really model my game after anyone specifically, but I take bits and pieces of things that the great running backs do, and the current running backs right now, that they do every Sunday. So, Frank Gore is definitely one of those guys. I like to look at guys that kind of remind me of myself. So, Frank Gore is definitely one of those guys. A guy that’s hard to tackle. He’s explosive. We don’t have the 4.3, we’re not 4.3 speed guys, but we get the job done.”
MY TAKE: James is smart to say he patterns some of his game after Gore, and maybe he does. But Gore was extremely unique. He was small enough to squeeze through the smallest cracks, elusive enough to make defenders miss and powerful enough to break tackles. He was one of the most gifted running backs ever. The only thing that slowed him down was multiple knee injuries in college.
When I watch James run, I see shades of Mark Ingram, who wasn't quite as good as Gore, but was excellent during his prime. Both James and Ingram are explosive runners who slam into the line of scrimmage with no fear and pick up the tough yards for an offense.
That's what the 49ers need James to do.
