CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Frank Gore was approached in the Dolphins' locker room after Miami's second preseason game, a 27-20 loss to Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night.
"Nah, talk to this guy," Gore said, gesturing toward the No. 32 locker directly to the right of his.
Gore was referencing Kenyan Drake. The two are listed together atop the Dolphins' depth chart at running back. At 35 and with 13 NFL seasons under his belt, Gore has an 11-year advantage over Drake in both age and experience. Yet Gore continues to give kudos to Drake, who took first-team reps against the Panthers while the former 49ers and Colts RB watched from the sideline in street clothes.
SIGN UP to watch every NFL game and RedZone during the 2018 season on DAZN
"He’s just talented,” Gore told Sporting News of Drake. "He's very explosive. He can make plays in the run game and also the passing game."
Gore has yet to play in the preseason this year for precautionary reasons. Drake has been the immediate beneficiary in a Miami backfield that currently includes seven running backs on the depth chart. That number, of course, will decrease when the roster gets whittled down to its standard 53 players before Week 1 of the regular season.
2018 NFL PREDICTIONS:
Can Dolphins make noise in AFC East?
Against the Panthers, Drake carried the ball eight times for 54 yards, including a nifty 34-yard rush. He also caught the three passes for a total of four yards, but each was a screen pass that was shut down by Carolina's defense.
KK Short blows up this run, but Kenyan Drake reverses field for a huge gain. #NorrisNotes pic.twitter.com/RfjKulgQf5
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 18, 2018
"As the preseason progresses, obviously the more carries, the more times you get hit out there and get back into the swing of things," Drake said. "Everything will kind of smoothen itself out as the season comes to a beginning."
With two preseason games down and two to go, Gore has been itching to play. Early reports suggest he will get some work against the Ravens on Saturday.
NFL UNIFORM RANKINGS:
Miami needs more updates for threads
After 10 seasons in San Francisco and three in Indianapolis, Gore is back in his native Florida, where he also played college football for Miami and won a national championship with the Hurricanes in the 2001 season.
"Oh, I’m happy,” Gore told SN. "It's a dream to play at home and in front of all my fans and friends from since when I was a kid."
Gore is the oldest running back in the NFL. He has managed to stick around so long despite playing one of football's most punishing positions. When asked how he has been able to do so — and how he wants to show younger players like Drake how to do it — Gore was straightforward with his answer.
"Work hard and love the game," the five-time Pro Bowler said. "You just gotta work. Just work and go out there every day like it’s your last. You never know when it can be your last so just go out there and play hard, practice hard and be ready."
Gore is on a one-year deal in Miami, meaning time for him to pass on those lessons to young Dolphins rushers might be limited. For now, Drake wants to soak up as much knowledge from his new teammate as possible while he still can.
"Not just to play with, but to watch someone like that sets a great example for me," Drake said. "To see someone who's been in the league that long and do the things he's done is inspiring."