SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of Frank Gore’s Monday interview. Play close attention to the end. He reveals his attitude about being a teammate and a man.
Q: What did the coaches say at halftime?
GORE: Coach Harbaugh and Coach G-Ro (Roman) on the offensive side just told us, you know, basically that just try anything and whatever we have to do. He said, ‘We can’t make mistakes, we’ve got to go out and play and finish strong.’ That’s what we did.
Q: It seemed a little unusual, because typically when you’re 17 points down, you’re getting three receivers and throwing it, but you guys really didn’t do that.
GORE: We stuck with the game plan. Like I said, man, Coach Harbaugh and the coaching staff are great leaders, man. We believe in them. We didn’t flinch. We came out and everybody came up and said, ‘We’re going to do this.’ And we did it.
Q: Is this a win that can change the atmosphere around here?
GORE: I think we’ve changed. We’re a different team. We always knew we had talent in this locker room, the type of guys we have in this locker room. Having our coaching staff, that’s a really big part of this organization, Harbaugh and his coaching staff. They’re doing a great job. We’re just following, believing and great things are happening.
Q: There are times you’ve thought you had it but this is a time you showed you could do it.
GORE: We knew. As long as we just keep following our leader and keep believing in our leader, we’ll be fine.
Q: Did everybody buy in right away?
GORE: I don’t know but I know that every day we go out and work hard. When you work hard, great things pay off. Now you see the record 3-1 and great wins, that’s big.
Q: Couple years ago the team was 3-1…
GORE: That was different, though. That was tough. I think now we know that we can be a great team. We’ve got more talent and our coaching staff they do a great job of drawing it up and explaining and talking to us like as long as we don’t give up we can do it.
Q: How much did the offensive line need this kind of game?
GORE: It was big. Them guys fought hard up front. The first three games it was a struggle, it was tough on us. We kept battling, we didn’t give up and we kept fighting. This week they showed up and did a great job.
Q: Why do you believe in this staff?
GORE: When they’re talking and showing us things on the board, showing us the film, you see it on the field the way they’re talking about it. It’s happening. As long as we keep working hard and doing what we do, we should be fine.
Q: Are you guys closer now after the Youngstown trip?
GORE: I think we did get closer. I always thought in our locker room we’ve got a great locker room, we’ve got a great bunch of guys. When you go off like that for 10 days, you’ve got to stay in a hotel every day, wake up to your players every day, that’s big. You get closer. You go out with some of the guys you probably don’t go out with when you’re here to eat, that was big. It was big that we got away and stayed in Youngstown for a week. I think we grew.
Q: How does Harbaugh push the right buttons?
GORE: What I like about him is he’s a football man. He knows football very well. I can’t explain it though, man. He’s a good dude, man. I like him a lot. I like him a lot because he’s a real football man. He knows football. He’s a players’ coach. He talks to everybody. He doesn’t care if you’re a superstar or what. He treats everybody the same. That’s big. In the locker room when were down, there wasn’t no ‘rah, rah, rah’ or putting anybody down. He kept lifting us up and telling us we could do it, and we did it.
Q: What’s it feel like to be a winner?
GORE: It feels good. This win this Sunday was real big, man. Philly’s a good team. Their record might not show it but they’re a good team. They’ve got a bunch of All-Stars. Going in there and being down three scores to a bunch of All-Stars and to come back and win, that’s real big. Now we’ve got to keep working and build off these two wins and get another one Sunday.
Q: Does the definition of what it means to be a 49er change?
GORE: Hey, we’re ready. We’re there. We’ve just got to keep working. I know what type of guys we’ve got in here. I feel that the type of leader we’ve got. As long as we keep following him and believing in him we’ll be fine.
Q: How is he getting the most out of Alex?
GORE: It’s Alex’s first time having someone who really can understand him and show him the quarterback position and put him in great situations. Coach Harbaugh is doing a great job with him. Alex is balling. He’s balling out. If he keeps balling, our team will keep winning and we’ll go farther and farther.
Q: Do you think every star running back would be as cool as you’ve been splitting carries with a rookie?
GORE: I feel like he deserved (to start). I felt that I would have been wrong as a man letting him work all week and I didn’t practice not one day, and then Sunday I just get in and be a starter. That wouldn’t be right as a man. I like Kendall. He’s a hard worker. He’s a great kid. He wants to get better and I’m here to help him. I’ve been in the league seven years now and I’m still going. If he can help this team get to that level that I’ve never been, I’m willing to let him help me.
Q: Does Harbaugh think you’ll be more productive if you’re fresher towards the end of the game?
GORE: When I told Coach Harbaugh, “Let me play,” he let me play. I’ll be smarter. Coach Rathman tells me be smarter, and I have been doing that. Like I said, I couldn’t do that to Hunter – let him work all week knowing that come on Sunday when I’m feeling like I can play, to boot him out of the way, that’s not a good man.
Q: What do you mean by ‘smarter?’
GORE: When I’m tired come out of the game. On certain plays I feel like he could run or he could help, I’ll let him do it instead of just thinking about me. That’s what I’m talking about.
Q: Where does yesterday’s win rank since you’ve been here?
GORE: Amongst the best. We were supposed to be playing against a bunch of All-Stars, and everybody’s looking at us like we’re the same old 49ers who are just OK. To be down three scores and come back and win against all the All-Stars, that’s one of my best since I’ve been here.
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