Beyond the talent which separates the good from the great, durability is what separates the great from the truly great, the Hall of Fame type players. A player very near and dear to many of us, Mr. Franklin Delano Gore, is inching toward very rarified company in terms of his career numbers. Objectively speaking, Frank Gore has always been a very talented player, although I would hesitate to put him in the exclusive company of backs like Barry Sanders, or Marcus Allen - but clearly much of his success has come with his unusual durability, especially at the running back position. Certainly a candidate for the "solid, if often unspectacular" moniker, Frank Gore has been a bastion of consistency. In fact, since 2005, he has only missed a total of 12 games.

To the point

At the end of the second week of the 2016 NFL season, Frank Gore is situated at 12,143 rushing yards, good enough for 13th all time. The steps above him are painfully close, within the next 169 yards (2 to 3 games at his current production), he will skip Marcus Allen, Marshall Faulk, Edggerin James, and Jim Brown, officially entering the top 10, and landing at spot #9. Other than Ladanian Tomlinson (who is recently eligible), all other top 10 backs are in the Hall of Fame. By the end of the season, Frank Gore should reasonably be able to reach #8 all time, passing Tony Dorsett at 12,739 rushing yards.

Furthermore Susan, Frank Gore is faced with a large and quick jump up all-time yards from scrimmage board. Currently, his 15,331 combined rushing and receiving yards place him at 17th all time. However, with 301 more yards (3 to 4 games at his current production), he will leap Isaac Bruce, Eric Dickerson, Edgerrin James again, Randy Moss, and Tiki Barber, landing him at 12 overall. At his current rate, it is not entirely unreasonable to expect Frank Gore to squeeze past #11 Terrell Owens (16,185 yards), and perhaps #10 Tony Dorsett (16,293 yards). Currently all top 10 players in yards from scrimmage who have had Hall of Fame eligibility for more than a few months are in the Hall of Fame, Ladanian Tomlinson being the exception once again.

Guys. He can do it.