Larry Beil is an American sportscaster.^[1]

Biography[link]

From 1996 to 1998, he was an anchor on SportsCenter, the flagship program of ESPN. Beil, who graduated from the University of Hawaii, introduced a new catch phrase after showing a home run: "Aloha means goodbye." He also appeared in a This is SportsCenter ad in which he was introduced by ring announcer Michael Buffer, as if he were about to compete in a boxing match.

Beil is currently a sports anchor at KGO-TV, the ABC O&O in San Francisco. He is also a sports columnist for Yahoo! and hosts a Yahoo! webcast with former Seahawk Joe Nash called SportStream. Prior to his work at ESPN, he was sports anchor and reporter at KTVU Channel 2 in Oakland, and KGMB Channel 9 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

References[link]

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Michael Buffer
Michael Buffer in Washington, D.C. at Fight For Children's "Fight Night 2007"
Born	(1944-11-02) November 2, 1944 (age 67) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Ring Announcer
Years active	1982–present
Known for	"Let's Get Ready To Rumble!" catchphrase
Website
Lets Get Ready to Rumble Official Website of Sports Announcer, Michael Buffer

Michael Buffer (born November 2, 1944) is an American professional ring announcer for boxing and professional wrestling matches. He is known for his trademarked catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" He is known for pioneering a distinct announcing style in which he rolls certain letters and adds other inflections to a fighter's name. His half-brother is UFC announcer Bruce Buffer.

Early life[link]

Buffer was born and raised in Roslyn, Pennsylvania, to an enlisted man in the United States Navy and his wife during World War II.^[1] His parents divorced when he was 11 months of age, and Buffer was then raised by foster parents, a school bus driver and housewife, in the Philadelphia suburb of Roslyn.^[2] He enlisted in the United States Army during the Vietnam War at age 20 and served until age 23. He held various jobs including a car salesman, then began a modeling career at age 32 before becoming a ring announcer at age 38.^[1]

Career[link]

Boxing[link]

In 1982, Buffer began his career as a ring announcer. By 1983, he was announcing all boxing matches promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank on ESPN, which gave him a national identity at a time when ring announcers were strictly locally hired talent.^[3] By 1984, Buffer developed the catchphrase "Let's get ready to rumble" in his announcing, which gained enormous popularity. He began the process of obtaining a federal trademark for the phrase in the 1980s, which he acquired in 1992.

By the late 1980s, Buffer was the exclusive ring announcer for all bouts in Donald Trump-owned casinos. Trump said of Buffer, "He's great, he's the choice, he has a unique ability... I told my people, 'We got to have him.'"^[2] Buffer's work was also admired by many of the boxing greats. Sugar Ray Leonard once said, "When [Buffer] introduces a fighter, it makes him want to fight."^[4]

Buffer's fame has reunited him with long-lost family members. In 1989, Buffer was contacted by his birth-father after having seen him on television, who introduced him to his half-brothers.^[5] In the mid-1990s, Buffer brought on one of his half-brothers, Bruce Buffer, as his agent/manager. This grew into a business partnership to increase licensing productivity of the trademark.

Michael Buffer is currently the announcer for all HBO and RTL (Germany) boxing matches, along with Versus matches promoted by Top Rank. He was formerly the announcer for WCW.^[6]

Wrestling[link]

Buffer was the exclusive ring announcer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) main events featuring Hulk Hogan or other top WCW talent until 2001, when the organization folded. The WCW's former parent company Time Warner owned through their pay-per-view subscription division HBO, which broadcast many matches from promoter Top Rank, of which Buffer is the lead ring announcer. The exclusivity of his contract with WCW prevented Buffer from announcing for other wrestling-type organizations, forcing him to stop announcing for the UFC (his only UFC card was UFC 7). However, when the WCW ceased to exist, and Time Warner had no more affiliation with professional wrestling, Buffer was enabled to announce in other wrestling promotions. WWE wrestler Triple H created the phrase "Let's get ready to suck it!" as part of his D-Generation X act to mock Buffer while he was on WWF Raw's rival show WCW Monday Nitro during the Monday Night Wars.

On the August 18, 2007 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, for the first time in more than six years, Buffer returned to pro-wrestling ring announcing duties at Madison Square Garden in a boxing match between pro boxer Evander Holyfield (who was substituting for Montel Vontavious Porter) and pro wrestler Matt Hardy. Buffer appears in the Royal Rumble 2008 commercial, in which he begins to say "Let's get ready to rumble!" only to be superkicked by Shawn Michaels, causing him to fall over. As well as being in the commercial for the event, he was the guest ring announcer during the Royal Rumble match itself.

Other appearances[link]

During his career, Buffer has announced the World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Championships, and NFL playoff games. Michael, like his brother Bruce, announced early UFC fights, starting at UFC 6 in 1995. He has appeared on various talk shows hosted by Jay Leno, David Letterman, Arsenio Hall, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel. He has also appeared on Saturday Night Live, In Living Color, Mad TV and The Howard Stern Show.^[7] He has been animated in The Simpsons, South Park, and Celebrity Deathmatch, and his voice was sampled in the eurodance song Let's Get Ready To Rumble by PJ and Duncan and he appeared in the video for the cover by KO's ft. Michael Buffer. He has played himself in various films including Ready to Rumble and Rocky Balboa, and in 2008 Buffer appeared as Walbridge, the main villain in the comedy You Don't Mess with the Zohan.^[6][8] Buffer is currently the host of Versus' boxing retro show Legends of the Ring, which is produced by Top Rank, Inc., where he is ring announcer for most of their top matches. He also appeared on NBC's Deal or No Deal on December 10, 2007, and opened the finale of the seventh season of American Idol (owned by RTL Group; Buffer is the ring announcer for RTL-televised boxing matches in Europe) on May 20, 2008, which employed a boxing theme. On July 19, 2008, Buffer announced the Affliction: Banned mixed martial arts show. On November 10, 2008, Buffer started the heads-up action at the 2008 World Series of Poker final table with a modified version of his trademark statement, "Let's get ready to shuffle up and deal". Buffer also appears in the animated TV Series Phineas and Ferb in the episode Raging Bully, as the voice of the announcer for the big thumb-wrestling match with Phineas and Buford.

Buffer has been reproduced as an action figure in both Toy Biz's WCW line and Jakks Pacific's Rocky line.^{[citation needed]}

Buffer also recorded player introductions for the 2009-10 Duke University basketball team.

Trademark[link]

Buffer began using the phrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" in the early 1980s. By 1992, he acquired a federal trademark for the phrase. Buffer uses his famous phrase in various licensing deals including the platinum selling album Jock Jams by Tommy Boy Records, the video games Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and Game Boy Advance and Greatest Heavyweights of the Ring for the Sega Genesis and numerous other products.^[8] In addition, he has used variations of the phrase in advertisements, including the popular commercial for Mega Millions in which he says "Let's get ready to Win Big!" and the Kraft Cheese commercial in which he says "Let's get ready to Crumble! ".

As of 2009, Buffer had earned over $400 million from licensing on the trademark.^[9]

Personal life[link]

Buffer first wed at age 21. The marriage, which ended in divorce after seven years, produced two sons. More than 25 years passed before he remarried in 1999. He and his second wife divorced in 2003.^[3]

On September 13, 2007, while making an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he proposed to his current (third) wife, Christine. Buffer currently resides in Southern California. His half-brother Bruce is the announcer for leading mixed martial arts promotion, Ultimate Fighting Championship. Both Michael and Bruce are grandsons of late boxer Johnny Buff.^[10]

In 2008 Buffer was treated for throat cancer.^[11]

Filmography[link]

• America's Next Top Model, Cycle 18 (2012) – Himself
• The Bold and the Beautiful (2010) – Himself
• 2012 (2009) – Himself/Ring announcer
• You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) – Grant Walbridge
• Rocky Balboa (2006) – Himself/Ring announcer
• Against the Ropes (2004) – Ring announcer
• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) – Himself
• The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave (2003) – Himself/Sports commentator
• Game Over (2003) – Ring announcer
• More Than Famous (2003) – Himself
• Play It to the Bone (2003) – Himself
• Ready To Rumble (2000) – Himself
• ClayFighter 63⅓ (1997) – Announcer
• Virtuosity (1995) – Ring announcer
• Prize Fighter (1993) – Ring announcer
• Rocky V (1990) – Ring announcer
• Harlem Nights (1989) – Ring announcer
• Homeboy (1988) – Ring announcer

References[link]

External links[link]

• LetsRumble – The Official Michael Buffer Website
• Michael Buffer at the Internet Movie Database

Hope Amelia Solo

Hope Solo in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Hope Amelia Solo
Date of birth	(1981-07-30) July 30, 1981 (age 30)
Place of birth	Richland, Washington, United States
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Seattle Sounders Women
Number	1
Youth career
1999–2002	Washington Huskies
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003	Philadelphia Charge	8	(0)
2004	Kopparbergs/Göteborg	19	(0)
2005	Lyon	7	(0)
2009–2010	Saint Louis Athletica	23	(0)
2010	Atlanta Beat	16	(0)
2011	magicJack	4	(0)
2012–	Seattle Sounders Women	1	(0)
National team‡
1995–1997	United States U16
1998–1999	United States U19
1999–2000	United States U21
2000–	United States	114	(0)
Honours Competitor for USA Olympic Games – Women's Football Gold 2008 Beijing Team Competition
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 30, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 April 2012

Hope Amelia Solo (born July 30, 1981) is an American soccer goalkeeper playing for the Seattle Sounders Women. Solo has played for the United States women's national soccer team since 2000.

Personal life[link]

Solo was born in Richland, Washington on July 30, 1981.^[1][2] Her father Jeffrey, of Italian descent who grew up in the Bronx, was a sometimes-homeless Vietnam War veteran. It was Jeffrey who taught her how to play soccer. Although her parents divorced when she was six and she lived with her mother, Solo maintained a close relationship with her father, who continued to be a major influence in her life until his sudden death of heart failure in June 2007.^[3][4][5]

Amateur and Collegiate career[link]

Solo has played soccer with the Three Rivers Soccer Club in the Tri-Cities. As a forward at Richland High School, Solo scored 109 goals, leading her team to three consecutive league titles from 1996–1998 and a state championship in her senior year.^[6] She was twice named a Parade All American. At the University of Washington, Solo switched to the goalkeeper position and was the teams all-time leader in shutouts, saves, and goals-against average (GAA). She was a four-time All-Pac-10 selection and a three-time NSCAA All-American.

Solo saves a shot from the Boston Breakers in April 2010

Club career[link]

Following her college career, Solo was drafted for the now defunct WUSA team Philadelphia Charge in 2003. She made 19 league appearances for Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC of Göteborg, Sweden in the Swedish Premier Division in 2004^[7] and played for Olympique Lyonnais in the French First Division in 2005. She made seven appearances for the French club.^[8]

Saint Louis Athletica[link]

On September 16, 2008, Solo was one of the three players drafted for Saint Louis Athletica in the WPS allocation of national team members, with the new league starting play in April 2009. Solo let in six goals in the first four games as Athletica got off to a very slow 0–2–2 start in their first season. She conceded eight goals in her next 13 games and finished the season with eight shutouts. In 2009 Solo was named the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year.

Atlanta Beat[link]

In May 2010 the Saint Louis Athletica folded and Solo signed with another WPS team, Atlanta Beat, along with two St. Louis teammates.^[9] As her previous number (1) was taken, she took #78 for the Beat. Solo's comments on social networking website Twitter led to two separate controversies; after she accused Boston Breakers supporters of offensive chanting and racism, then questioned the integrity of match officials and the league itself following the Beat's 1–0 defeat to Washington Freedom.^[10] The second outburst resulted in a $2,500 fine and one-game suspension.^[11] After the end of the season, Solo underwent surgery on her right shoulder on September 22.^[12]

magicJack[link]

Ahead of the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season, Solo signed for new franchise magicJack. After one season with the magicJack the 2012 WPS season was canceled. On February 14, 2012 it was announced that Solo had signed with the Seattle Sounders Women.^[13]

International career[link]

Solo played for U.S. junior national soccer teams before joining the full U.S. national team in 2000. Her senior debut came in an 8–0 win over Iceland at Davidson, North Carolina in April 2000.^[14] She was named a member of the Olympic team in 2004, making the 2004 Olympics in Athens as an alternate. Solo has been the team's first choice goalkeeper since 2005. She has recorded several clean sheets and once went 1,054 minutes without allowing a goal, a streak that ended in a 4–1 victory against France in the Algarve Cup.

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup[link]

Solo was the starting goalkeeper for the United States in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, giving up two goals in four games including consecutive shutouts of Sweden, Nigeria and England. Heading into the semifinal match against Brazil, U.S. coach Greg Ryan benched Solo in favor of 36-year-old veteran U.S. keeper Briana Scurry, who had a strong history of performance against the Brazilians but had not played a complete game in three months.^[15][16] The U.S. lost to Brazil 4–0, ending a 51–game (regulation time) undefeated streak, while playing much of the match with only 10 players after midfielder Shannon Boxx received two yellow cards at the end of the first half.

Post-2007 World Cup fallout[link]

In an impromptu interview following the match, a clearly upset^[17] Solo criticized Ryan's decision. "It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it's not 2004 anymore. It's not 2004. And it's 2007, and I think you have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that's what I think."^[18][19] Many viewed her comments as being critical of Scurry's performance, although Solo released an apologetic statement the following day saying that was not her intent.^[20] On September 29, 2007, coach Greg Ryan announced that Solo would not be with the team and would not play in the third-place match against Norway the following day.^[21][22] Team captain Kristine Lilly stated that the decision on Solo was made by the team as a group.^[23] The U.S. went on to win against Norway 4–1.

Solo was named to the U.S. women's national soccer team roster for the post-World Cup tour, but she did not attend the first workout ahead of the first game against Mexico. Even though the players' contract with the federation stipulated that anyone on the World Cup roster had the right to play in the tour, she did not play in any of the three games against Mexico, being replaced by Briana Scurry for the first and third matches, and Nicole Barnhart for the second. The third match against Mexico, on October 20, 2007, marked the end of the U.S. women's national team's 2007 season. The team regrouped in January 2008 to begin preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[24] Ryan left the team after his contract was not renewed in December 2007. ^[25]

2008 Summer Olympics[link]

Solo with her Olympic gold medal

On June 23, 2008, it was announced Solo would be the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In a reversal of roles from the 2004 Olympics, Brianna Scurry did not make the team, though she was an alternate. On August 21, the U.S. women's team won the gold medal by defeating Brazil 1–0 in extra time, in no small measure due to Solo's performance as she stopped an energetic Brazilian attack, making save after save.^[26]

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup[link]

Despite missing much of the qualifying campaign with a shoulder injury, Solo was named to the U.S. roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.^[27] After keeping clean sheets in group C wins over North Korea and Colombia, Solo conceded two goals in the 2–1 loss to Sweden which consigned the Americans to second place in the group and a quarterfinal meeting with Brazil.

The quarterfinal match between the U.S. and Brazil was sent into a penalty shoot-out after U.S. forward Abby Wambach tied the game at 2–2 in stoppage time at the end of extra-time. Solo saved the third Brazil penalty kick by Daiane, helping the U.S. secure a semifinal spot against France.^[28] After the quarterfinal victory, Solo commented on the performance and spirit of the U.S. players during the match, "Even when we were a player down and a goal behind in extra time, you sensed that something was going to happen," and added that "[the] team kept fighting. You can't teach that. It's a feeling – and we play with that feeling."^[28]

Solo became the twenty-seventh American woman, and second goalkeeper, to reach 100 caps with her start in the 3–1 semifinal win over France.^[29] Talking to the media after the match, Solo reflected upon the tournament so far, "It was a hard-fought road [...] It hasn't been easy, but this is where we expected to be. We came this far, we better go all the way."^[29]

In the final, the U.S. team lost 3–1 in a penalty shootout to Japan, after twice taking the lead in an eventual 2–2 draw. Solo expressed admiration for the Japanese team and offered her congratulations.^[30] Solo won the "Golden Glove" award for best goalkeeper, and the "Bronze Ball" award for her overall performance. She was also featured in the "All-star" team of the tournament.^[31]

Other activities[link]

Solo was a contestant on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars. Her partner was Maksim Chmerkovskiy and she was eliminated in the semi-final round. She appeared nude in ESPN's 2011 "Body Issue." ^[32]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hope Solo

• Official website
• Hope Solo on Twitter
• Hope Solo on Facebook
• Hope Solo – FIFA competition record
• US Soccer player profile
• Washington profile

United States squads v t e United States squad – 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Third Place 1 Scurry 2 Dalmy 3 Rampone 4 Whitehill 5 Tarpley 6 Kai 7 Boxx 8 Ellertson 9 O'Reilly 10 Wagner 11 Lloyd 12 Osborne 13 Lilly (c.) 14 Lopez 15 Markgraf 16 Hucles 17 Chalupny 18 Solo 19 Jobson 20 Wambach 21 Barnhart Coach: Ryan v t e United States squad – 2008 Summer Olympics (Women's Soccer) - Gold Medal 1 Solo 2 Mitts 3 Rampone (c.) 4 Buehler 5 Tarpley 6 Kai 7 Boxx 8 Rodriguez 9 O'Reilly 10 Wagner 11 Lloyd 12 Cheney 13 Heath 14 Cox 15 Markgraf 16 Hucles 17 Chalupny 18 Barnhart Coach: Sundhage v t e United States squad – 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Runners-up 1 Solo 2 Mitts 3 Rampone (c.) 4 Sauerbrunn 5 O'Hara 6 LePeilbet 7 Boxx 8 Rodriguez 9 O'Reilly 10 Lloyd 11 Krieger 12 Cheney 13 Morgan 14 Cox 15 Rapinoe 16 Lindsey 17 Heath 18 Barnhart 19 Buehler 20 Wambach 21 Loyden Coach: Sundhage

Frank Gore

Gore at 49ers training camp in August 2010
No. 21     San Francisco 49ers
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1983-05-14) May 14, 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth: Miami, Florida
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College: University of Miami
NFL Draft: 2005 / Round: 3 / Pick: 65
Debuted in 2005 for the San Francisco 49ers
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (2005–Present)
Career highlights and awards
3× Pro Bowl (2006, 2009, 2011) Second-team All-Pro (2006) PFWA Most Improved Player of the Year (2006) NFC Rushing champion (2006)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2011
Rushing yards 7,653 Rushing average 4.6 Rushing TDs 42 Stats at NFL.com

Franklin John Michael Gore^[1] (born May 14, 1983) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.

Throughout his 7 year NFL career, Gore has been ranked among the best running backs to be playing the game, having been selected to three Pro Bowls and having had four straight season with 1,000 rushing yards and a total of 5. After failing for most of his career on having a winning season and reaching the playoffs, he and the 49ers finally did in the 2011 season under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, reaching the NFC championship game, despite losing the game for a late fumble in overtime.

Early years[link]

Gore was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Coconut Grove, Florida. He attended Coral Gables High School, where he excelled as a running back. He had two notable record-breaking games. Against Miami Northwestern High School, he had a then career high 293 yards and two touchdowns. In the next game, he broke that record with 319 yards and six touchdowns. During his senior year in 2000, Gore broke several Dade County single-season records, including rushing yards (2,953) and touchdowns (34).^[2] Heavily recruited, he was named the No. 3 prospect in Dade County by The Miami Herald, as well as No. 4 in Florida and No. 18 nationally.^[3]

While emerging as a talented football prospect, Gore also focused his attention on improving his academics and assisting his mother, who was battling kidney disease and had started dialysis treatments. To remain close to home, Gore eventually chose to attend the University of Miami.^[4]

College career[link]

As a true freshman for the University of Miami in 2001, Gore totaled 575 yards with 5 touchdowns on 62 carries (a 9.3-yard avg), the third-best season total in school history by a freshman and was named Sporting News' Big East Freshman of the Year.^[3] He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee before spring practice in 2002 and spent the following season recovering from knee surgery.^[5] Before his injury that year, Gore beat out Willis McGahee in the spring of 2002 for the role as the Hurricanes' starting running back.

Gore returned in 2003 and rushed for 100 yards in each of his first three games of the season. He also returned for his senior year in 2004, when his cousin, Kim Gibson, asked him to change his uniform number from #32 to #3 for better luck. He then ran for nearly 1,000 yards during the season.^[6]

In 28 total games with the Hurricanes, Gore rushed 380 times for 1,975 yards (a 5.7 rushing average) and seventeen touchdowns. His 1,975 yards rank seventh on the school's career-record list and his seventeen scores are tied for tenth. He also caught 23 passes for 225 yards (9.8 avg), returned two kickoffs for 48 yards and recorded five tackles on special teams.^[7]

Professional career[link]

2005 NFL Draft[link]

Gore was selected 65th overall in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Gore scored a 6 on the Wonderlic test prior to being drafted.

(* represents NFL Combine)

2005 season[link]

Gore played in 14 games, starting one. He was inactive for two contests with a groin injury. He finished the season seventh among all NFL rookie running backs in rushing average with 4.8 average per run. He led the team in rushing with 608 yards on 127 carries and three rushing touchdowns.^[11] Gore also caught 15 passes for 131 yards. The last time a rookie led the 49ers in rushing was 1990, when Dexter Carter paced the team with 460 yards.^[12] His 608 yards rushing was the highest for a 49ers rookie since Roger Craig had 725 yards rushing in 1983.^[13]

He rushed for 17 yards on four carries and caught two passes for 21 yards in his first game against the St. Louis Rams. He later rushed for 42 yards on seven carries with a 5.4-yard average against the Dallas Cowboys. He led the team with nine carries on 89 yards and recorded a then career-long 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter at the Washington Redskins. The touchdown was the longest run from scrimmage by a 49ers player since running back Kevan Barlow took one 78 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The touchdown run was fifth-longest run from scrimmage by a 49ers rookie. He led the team in rushing for the third straight week with 5 yards on 15 carries (.7 avg.) at the Chicago Bears, with a 19-yard long. He made his first NFL start against the Jacksonville Jaguars, amassing over 100 combined yards with 79 yards rushing on 19 attempts for a 4.2 yard average with three receptions for 57 yards. Gore had his first two-touchdown game against the St. Louis Rams, with a 10-yard scoring run in the second quarter and a 30-yard score in the fourth quarter. In a game against the Houston Texans, he registered his first 100-yard game with 108 yards on 25 carries. Following the season, he had major surgery on both shoulders.

2006 season[link]

Gore was elevated to the top of the San Francisco 49ers' depth chart following the August 19, 2006 trade that shipped incumbent starter Kevan Barlow to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.^[14]

He emerged as one of the top running backs in the NFL in his first full season as the starter. Gore carried the ball 312 times for a franchise record 1,695 yards, eclipsing Garrison Hearst’s 1998 record of 1,570 yards.^[15] He became the first member of the 49ers to lead the NFC in rushing yards. He also set a franchise record with 2,180 combined yards (1,695 yards rushing and 485 yards receiving), breaking Hearst’s single season record of 2,105 total yards (1,570 rushing and 535 receiving) set in 1998. His total placed him second in the NFC to Steven Jackson (1,528 rushing and 806 receiving, 2,334 total) and fourth overall in the entire NFL. In the 49ers’ first meeting against the Seattle Seahawks, Gore set the 49ers’ single-game rushing record by totaling 212 yards on 24 carries, besting the 201 yards by Charlie Garner on September 24, 2000 against the Cowboys. Gore had nine 100-yard rushing games in 2006, giving him ten for his career. His nine 100-yard games in 2006 shattered the franchise record for most 100-yard games in a season. Garrison Hearst (1998) and Roger Craig (1988) each had six 100-yard games in a season. Gore was the first 49ers running back to have three-straight 100 yard games since Garrison Hearst had a 49ers-record four straight 100-yard games during a stretch in 1998. In those three weeks, Gore set the team record for most rushing yards in a three-game span.

His breakaway ability helped him finish the season with 5.4 yards per carry, placing him third in the entire NFL, behind only Michael Vick (8.4 YPC on 123 carries) and Maurice Jones-Drew (5.7 YPC on 166 carries). The 5.4 yards per carry are tied for the second best in 49ers history. Among players with over 300 carries, however, Gore’s season puts him in elite company. Very few times has a player averaged as many yards per carry as Gore did, while carrying the ball over 300 times. The players ahead of him are all Hall of Famers and feature three, 2,000-yard rushing seasons.

He finished with eight rushing touchdowns, tied for the third most in a season by a 49er. Gore finished the season with 61 receptions, which led the team. Only two other teams had a running back as their leading receiver: New Orleans (Reggie Bush) and Philadelphia (Brian Westbrook). Of those, only Gore and Westbrook also led their team in rushing. He also caught his first receiving touchdown of his career at Seattle, when Alex Smith avoided a sack and found Gore along the left sideline for a 20-yard score. He led the NFL with 16 rushes for 20 or more yards. Gore earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice during the 2006 season. He grabbed the honor in Week 5 after rushing for 134 yards on 27 carries, and catching 3 passes for 38 yards, against the Oakland Raiders. He also won in Week 11 after his franchise record 212 rushing yards, and 26 yards on 4 receptions, against Seattle. After Gore’s tremendous season, he was named the starting running back to the NFC Pro Bowl team.^[16] It was Gore’s first selection to the Pro Bowl.

Gore had benefited that season from the tutelage of then-offensive coordinator Norv Turner, whose offensive scheme places a heavy emphasis on running the football.

Though Gore had fumbling problems at the beginning of the season, losing the ball once in each of the first four games, he improved his carrying and only fumbled three more times the rest of the year.^[15]

2007 season[link]

Gore in action against the St. Louis Rams in 2007.

Gore signed a contract extension through 2011 estimated to be worth $28 million over four years on March 28, 2007. He also stated that it is his goal to surpass Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record in 2007. He said that he would gain 2,200 yards.

Gore broke a bone in his hand in the non-contact Training Camp drill on July 30 and missed the entire preseason.^[17] On September 13, Gore's mother died, due to a kidney disease. He missed a practice, but returned to the team and scored two touchdowns the following Sunday in a 17-16 win over the St. Louis Rams.^[18] Gore's best game came against the Arizona Cardinals where he came up with 116 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,102 rushing yards and 436 receiving yards.

2008 season[link]

Gore began the 2008 season against the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, where he rushed for 96 yards on only 14 carries. Despite his impressive performance, which also included a 41 yard touchdown run, the 49ers lost, 23-13.^[19]

In Week 3, he dominated the Detroit Lions, rushing for over 120 yards with a touchdown in a 31-13 victory.^[20] The following week against the New Orleans Saints, Gore outrushed Reggie Bush, although the 49ers were defeated, 31-17.^[21] In Week 6, Gore had his second 100 yard game of the season, as he rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries in a 40-26 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles.^[22]

In a Week 17 match-up against the visiting Washington Redskins, Gore became the first running back in 49ers history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in three straight seasons.^[23]

2009 season[link]

Gore waiting for the start of the 2009 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals

Gore entered the 2009 season under the guidance of new running back coach Tom Rathman. He was also complemented by a new second-string back, 49ers' third-round draft pick Glen Coffee.

After being nearly shut down in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, Gore had a career day the following week in the home opener versus the Seattle Seahawks. Gore rushed for 206 yards for a 12.8-yard average, including a 79- and an 80-yard touchdown run, becoming the second player in NFL history to rush for two touchdowns for 75 yards or more in a single game, with the other being hall-of-fame running back Barry Sanders.^[24] Maurice Jones-Drew would become the third running back to also rush for two touchdowns for 75 yards in a single game.

After missing his next two games against the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons due to an ankle injury, Gore returned in Week 7 against the Houston Texans.^[25] While he had a successful game against the Chicago Bears in Week 10, gaining 104 yards with a touchdown,^[26] he was used less in the 49ers' offensive game plan in the following three weeks, after the team adopted more of a spread offense.^[27] In the 49ers' second game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14, however, Gore had one of his most successful games of the season, rushing for 167 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown.^[28] In the 49ers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 16 of the season, Gore had 16 carries for 107 yards against an Eagles team that had not given up a 100-yard game in 22 consecutive games. Gore was named a first alternate for the 2009 Pro Bowl.^[15] On January 20, 2010, Steven Jackson announced he would not be playing in the Pro Bowl because of injury, so Gore was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl in his spot, the second of his career.

2010 season[link]

Gore fractured his right hip in a Week 12 win over the Arizona Cardinals, ending his season^[29] after the 49ers put him on IR.^[30]

2011 season[link]

Gore agreed to a three-year extension on August 30, 2011. Worth $25.9 million, the extension will keep Gore with the San Francisco 49ers through the 2014 season.^[31]

During the offseason, the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh to be their new head coach, applying itself a combination of a great running game, a supplemental passing game and a power house defense. This combination proved to be affective for Gore and the 49ers, leading them to a 13-3 record in the regular season and a playoff spot for the 49ers, their first since 2002 along with a first round bye.

In the first three games of the season, Gore did not perform well, rushing for 148 yards on 59 carries for only 1 touchdown. However, after week 3, this change. In week 4, the 49ers where down 23-3 at the end of the first half when quarterback Alex Smith and Gore both lead thrives to make the end score 24-23 and a 49ers win. Gore rushed for 127 yards and rushed for the game winning touchdown when four minuter where left in the game. Against the Buccaneers, Gore rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown in the 48-3 win for the 49ers. However, his performance in that game was eclipsed by his performanced against the Detroit Lions, where he rushed a season high of 141 yards in 15 carries and a touchdown in a 25-19 win for the 49ers, ruining the Lions 5-0 start.

The next few games where pretty well for Gore, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns and 107 yards agains the Redskins, becoming the 49ers record holder of most consecutive games with a 100 yards (5). However, against the Giants, Gore had a unmemorable performance, rushing for 0 yards and leaving in the second half with a knee injury. This was Gore's first game with 0 rushing yards. He would return the next game, where he would redeem himself against the Arizona Cardinals, where he rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown. Next week, however, he rushed for only 39 yards against the Ravens powerlful defense in 49ers 6-16 loss. The next game, however, proved to be a 49ers win against the St. Louis Rams, where Gore became the 49ers' all time leading rusher, surpassing Joe Perry; he rushed for 73 yards on the game. The next week, Gore performed well, rushing for 78 yards and the 49ers only touchdown, despite losing the game 19-21.

He manage to finished the season on a high note, with a three game winning streak, including one against the Steelers, where he rushed 65 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 1,211 yards, having had five season with at least 1,000 rushing yards.

During the playoffs, Gore performed exceedingly well, helping the 49ers set up a touchdown by rushing for 42 yards in the divisional round vs. the Saints; he had a total of 89 yards in the game. During the NFC Championship, Gore rushed for 74 yards against the New York Giants.

Statistics[link]

References[link]