"Every man has his breaking point, and Frank Gore's arrived April 23, 2005, when the 54th overall pick in the NFL draft was announced.

The Carolina Panthers select ... Louisville running back Eric Shelton?

Gore, who had seen five running backs selected ahead of him, could no longer stay composed.

"I thought I was going to be the fourth back taken, but I wasn't," Gore said. "When Eric Shelton got drafted in front of me, tears came out my eyes, man."

More than six years later, the once-tearful Gore was all smiles Wednesday after signing a three-year, $21 million contract extension with $13.5 million guaranteed from the 49ers, the team that selected him in the third round of the '05 draft.

Gore repeatedly has expressed his desire to finish his career with the 49ers, and it appears as if he could get his wish. He'll be a 10-year veteran four months removed from his 32nd birthday when his contract expires in 2014."