Former 49ers running back Frank Gore is a confident man.
So it should come as no surprise that the five-time Pro Bowl selection believes he would own the NFL's all-time rushing record if he played in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
"Oh, I would have went crazy," Gore told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan on "49ers Pregame Live" before Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. "I would have went crazy in this system. I probably would have had 20,000 [yards]. I tell Kyle that. When I sit down and watch how he goes over things, I said 'Bro, I would have had 20,000 yards in this system.' I tell Kyle that every time we talk."
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Gore asked Maiocco what Emmitt Smith's record is, and when they realized the number was over 18,000 (18,355 rushing yards, to be exact), the 16-year NFL veteran had no doubt the mark would be his.
"Oh, I would have got that," Gore said. "In this system? I would have got that."
Gore finished with exactly 16,000 rushing yards during his career with the 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Dolphins.
Gore spends a lot of time around the 49ers, so he has an idea why so many running backs have found success playing in Shanahan's scheme.
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"You got to understand, I'm being real. Kyle is smart as hell," Gore told Maiocco and Chan. "When I sit in meetings with him at times, I'm surprised how much he knows about the game. How he dials up the plays and how he looks at stuff to make things look so simple. That's why I think the guys who come in, he makes it simple for them. He shows them their first read, he shows them how to line up, how to get off the ball and he makes it easy for the guys."
Alas, Gore will have to settle for third place on the NFL's all-time rushing leaderboard.
But it's still fun to wonder what might have been if he had the chance to play for Shanahan.
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