ESPN - 49ers' Gore misses practice after mother's death - NFL
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore missed the San Francisco 49ers' practice Thursday after the death of his mother.
Gore's mother, Liz, died Wednesday afternoon in the Miami area, and he briefly visited the 49ers' training complex Thursday before leaving to be with relatives. He still intends to play in San Francisco's game at St. Louis on Sunday, but probably will head home to Miami afterward.
"I think that Frank feels that his mother would want him to do his job," 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. "Frank knows that. I think that's where he'll put his attention when it comes to Sunday's game. I'm sure it's hard for him to get focused with what happened."
Gore was extremely close to his mother, who raised three children on her own in the tough Coconut Grove section of Miami. She arranged special academic assistance for her son during his struggle with dyslexia.
Gore has said his mother also allowed her own troubled, sometimes drug-addicted siblings and their children to live with her family. At times, more than 10 people crowded into her two-room apartment.
Gore visited his mother in Miami just before the season started when her condition worsened.
"I think he felt if he didn't get a chance to see her before the season, he may not see her again," Nolan said.
She contracted kidney disease when Gore was a junior at Coral Gables High School, requiring dialysis three times a week and going on a kidney transplant list. After Gore's record-setting high school career, he attended the University of Miami to stay close to his mother.
Gore also said he left the Hurricanes one year early to provide for his family. In the NFL offseasons, Gore spent most of his time in South Florida, where he purchased a home for her.
The third-round pick set the 49ers' franchise record and led the NFC with 1,695 yards rushing last season, just his second in San Francisco. He also set the franchise mark for total yards from scrimmage and earned a starting spot in his first Pro Bowl.
Gore was admittedly distracted his rookie season when the team traveled to Mexico City to play the Cardinals at the same time Liz underwent one of many surgeries in Florida.
"It was really tough," Gore said at the time. "That was the first time she went into the hospital with me not being around her. Not knowing if she was all right or not was the hardest part, but I know my mom is a tough woman."
Gores' Mother Passed Away
Gores' Mother Passed Away
Linear Mode
