49ers, Frank Gore issue statements on Tom Rathman’s retirement from coaching

Former 49ers FB Tom Rathman announced his retirement after 31 seasons in the NFL as a player and coach.

Legendary 49ers fullback and running backs coach Tom Rathman on Thursday announced his retirement from coaching. The Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame member spent 31 years in the NFL as a player and coach.

Rathman began his playing career with the 49ers in 1986 as a third-round pick out of Nebraska. He spent his first eight seasons in San Francisco where he was an integral part of two Super Bowl winners before finishing his career with one season in Oakland.

For his career, he posted 2,020 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground, along with 2,684 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through the air.

San Francisco was also where Rathman got his start in the coaching ranks. He joined the 49ers’ coaching staff in 1997 as the running backs coach, a position he held through the 2002 campaign. From there, he went to Detroit for three seasons, Oakland for three seasons, and then back to the 49ers for eight years. He made his second exit from San Francisco when head coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017.

Rathman took the 2017 season off before joining the Colts coaching staff where he spent the final three seasons of his career.

The 49ers issued a statement on their longtime player and coach, calling him the “quintessential 49er in every way.”

The 49ers family would like to congratulate Tom Rathman on concluding a tremendous, 31-year career as both a player and a coach in the National Football League. During more than two decades as a 49er, he left an indelible mark on our organization, the players he coached and the defenders he battled. Tom coached his players the same way he played the game, with a selfless, hard-nosed dedication to getting the best out of himself and those around him. A member of the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame, he is the quintessential 49er in every way. We are so happy for Tom, his wife, Holly, and their family, as he steps away from the game to which he gave so much.

Along with the team statement, longtime 49ers running back Frank Gore took time to congratulate his former coach, capped with a phrase Rathman frequently utilized in practice:

I want to congratulate Tom on a Hall of Fame career – both as a player and a coach. Tom was a father-figure to me. He came into my life and career at the perfect time. He challenged me every day to be better, both on the field and off, and I always wanted to make him proud. Tom helped me see the big picture of football and I wouldn’t have had as much success throughout my career without him. I love him. SQUEEZE IT!

Gore was drafted by the 49ers in 2005 between Rathman’s stints as the 49ers’ running backs coach, but the two spent six seasons together between 2009 and 2014 – Gore’s final year in a 49ers uniform.

Colts RBs coach Tom Rathman announces retirement

Tom Rathman retires from the league.

Indianapolis Colts running backs coach Tom Rathman has retired from the NFL after 31 seasons, the team announced Thursday.

Rathman has been the running backs coach for the Colts since 2018 and while his name might not be known throughout all households, he had a major impact on the running game in Indy.

“It was an honor to represent the NFL for more than 30 years as a coach and player,” said Rathman in a statement. “I was proud to represent and coach some outstanding players and I’m thankful for my time in Indianapolis. I’ll always be a Colts fan.”

Rathman was a big reason why the Colts run game was so strong. He helped carve the way for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons from Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, respectively.

But his biggest impact likely came in the toughness and fumbling department. Over the last two seasons, Rathman’s running backs have fumbled just twice.

“Tom Rathman’s three seasons with the Colts caps an unbelievable NFL career that spans 31 years as a player and coach,” said Frank Reich. “He made an immediate impact in our running back room upon his arrival and he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the development of our backs into multifaceted players. We’ll miss hearing his infamous ‘squeeze it!’ from the sideline at practice and on gameday. Tom won Super Bowls with San Francisco, is a member of the 49ers Hall of Fame and coached some of the best players in the game. We congratulate him on a phenomenal career and wish him all the best.”

Rathman seemingly has been wanting to retire for the last two seasons now but the Colts begged him to stay on. It worked for a while but Rathman is officially leaving the league.

The Colts now have five assistants to replace under Frank Reich after Nick Sirianni took the head coach job in Phildelphia and brought with him Jonathan Gannon, Kevin Patullo and Jason Michael.

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Tom Rathman: People who think Frank Gore’s not Hall of Famer don’t know football

Former San Francisco 49ers running backs coach Tom Rathman said there’s no question former 49ers running back Frank Gore is a Hall of Famer.

The number of people who don’t believe former 49ers running back Frank Gore belongs in the Hall of Fame is dwindling. Former 49ers running back and running backs coach Tom Rathman believes the people remaining in that camp don’t know anything about football.

Rathman on Wednesday joined Joe, Lo and Dibs on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and had a blunt response for the segment of fans who believe Gore’s credentials don’t count because of his longevity.

“Those are guys that don’t know anything about football,” Rathman said. “I mean, people that think that way, those are people that don’t have a clue what football’s all about. But I don’t think there’s any question that Frank Gore is going into the Hall of Fame. There’s no question. Anyone who plays as long as he has, and has done what he’s done in the league year after year, he keeps doing it playing at high levels — and he’s still playing at a high level, ya know at this age.”

There aren’t many people in the NFL as familiar with Gore as Rathman is. Now with the Indianapolis Colts, was Gore’s running backs coach from 2009-14 when they were both with the 49ers. He had an up-close look at Gore on a day-in, day-out basis and says he remains in contact with the now-Jets running back.

Rathman’s credentials speak for themselves. He was a fullback for the 49ers during their heyday from 1986-93. He was part of two Super Bowl winners in that span and went on to an eight-year career. Rathman joined the NFL coaching ranks with the 49ers in 1997, and bounced around to the Lions and Raiders before landing back in San Francisco in 2009. He left in 2016 and joined the Colts in 2018.

The former fullback and two-time Super Bowl champ has been around a lot of Hall of Famers during his time in the NFL, and he’s certain Gore belongs in Canton.

“I think that’s crazy,” Rathman said. “I mean, there may be people that say that just to get it in their conversation. Because you have to evaluate each player and give the pros and the cons. Yeah there are gonna be pros. Yeah there are gonna be cons. But, I mean, obviously the pros are gonna outweigh the cons, so when you come down to it you have to make a decision and I don’t think there’s any question what decision will be made.”

Gore is third on the all-time rushing list and will get a chance to distance himself further from Barry Sanders at No. 4 on the list in 2020 during his 15th NFL season.

Colts’ Year-End Awards from 2019 season

Handing out some awards from the 2019 season.

The Indianapolis Colts failed to reach the postseason despite their hot start to the 2019 campaign and while it was ultimately a lost season, there were some bright spots along the way.

Finishing in third place is never desired but the Colts showed that even without their franchise quarterback, they can still compete down the stretch. Some additions this offseason may need be in order, but there is plenty of optimism in terms of the direction of the team.

As the 2019 season ends and we look forward to 2020, let’s hand out some awards before the offseason officially starts:

Most Valuable Player: CB Kenny Moore

There are a few names worthy of this award. When talking about the most valuable player, it isn’t just the player that puts up the best stat line. While that helps, the most valuable player should be given to the player that had the biggest impact. That doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.

Moore’s impact on the defensive side of the ball can’t be understated. He’s the team’s best cornerback working both from the slot and on the outside when they need him to. Though he dealt with injuries plenty this season, Moore’s impact was felt every game he was on the field.

The Colts value versatility and Moore’s 2019 season was the perfect embodiment of that attribute. From applying sticky man coverage to being one of the best open-field tacklers in the game to even being used as a blitzer from the slot, Moore’s impact was monumental for a growing defense.

What’s more, the absence of Moore may have been felt in a bigger way when he couldn’t get on the field due to an ankle sprain. The defense fell apart and it’s almost a direct correlation to Moore’s absence.

There are several players deserving of the award, but Moore was the team’s most valuable asset in 2019.

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