30 best NFL running backs of the 21st century

5. Frank Gore, 2005-2020
San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets

Frank Gore is the greatest accumulator in sports history. He is currently third all-time in rushing yards with exactly 16,000. That's incredible for his career. However, it's his lack of individual greatness that has some wondering where he should rank all-time. Is someone who never led the league in rushing really a Hall of Famer?

In a simple answer, yes. Frank Gore was very, very good for a very long time. Playing until he’s 37 years old when most running backs are done before they turn 30 is worthy of Canton alone. The fact that he had nine 1,000-yard seasons during that time is incredible. Gore was a bruising runner, which makes his durability somehow even more impressive. 

Gore has 3,735 carries in his career and 81 touchdowns. Simple math tells us he’s been tackled or pushed out of bounds more than 3,600 times. Just take a second to breathe that in. He was tackled more than 3,600 times over a 15-year period. Gore is a marvel. They should study his body for science.

We don’t want to ignore the micro about his career because he had great seasons. He had 1,695 yards on the ground in his second season. He broke 1,200 in 2011 and 2012. The San Francisco 49ers drove their offense through him for a long time, and he gave them an opportunity to focus on other positions. He played everywhere and held onto his career longer than others would, but we have to give him credit for his availability, and he deserves to be in the top five on this particular list.