Scot McCloughan served in the 49ers front office from 2005-2009, was with the Seattle Seahawks as senior personnel executive from 2010-2013 and was the general manager of the Washington Redskins from 2015-16. He is considered by many to be one of the best talent evaluators of the past few decades, and has had his hand in drafting multiple All-Pros including Patrick Willis, Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman.
But it’s a different 49er legend and fan favorite that McCloughan revealed as the proudest draft pick of his career when asked on Twitter Thursday evening: 49ers all-time leading rusher Frank Gore.
McCloughan also confirmed that Gore came looking for him upon entering the 49ers’ building for the first time after being drafted.
McCloughan had a hand in drafting Gore in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft when he was the team’s vice president of player personnel. Gore became the team’s full-time starting running back by 2006, and remained in that capacity until 2014, making the Pro Bowl five times in the process. Gore’s 11,073 rushing yards for San Francisco are the most in the franchise’s history by nearly 4,000 yards. Gore is currently eighth on the all-time rushing list, and is about to begin his 13th season as a pro with the Indianapolis Colts.