INDIANAPOLIS -- New Indianapolis Colts running back Robert Turbin grew up in the Bay Area watching Frank Gore run past defenders with the San Francisco 49ers.
“I was a huge fan of his because I grew up playing running back since I was 10 years old,” Turbin said. “So being a fan of the 49ers and one of my favorite running backs being on that team, obviously he was fun to watch for me.”
Now Turbin will have an opportunity to not only be Gore’s teammate, but also back him up next season after signing a one-year contract with the Colts.
“We’ve never met, unfortunately, as much as I’ve wanted to when I was a kid I never had the opportunity to (meet Gore) but we’ll meet now,” Turbin said Wednesday. “My prayers are being answered 15 years later.”
Like with the signing of quarterback Scott Tolzien last week, the addition of Turbin is not a headline grabber. But both moves were necessary for the Colts.
Gore dominated the backfield workload last season. His 260 carries were 227 more than his next closest teammate. Gore will be the Colts’ primary back again next season, but he turns 33 years old later this year and the team wants to do what it can to lighten his load. Turbin joins Tyler Varga and Trey Williams as the only other running backs currently on the roster other than Gore.
Turbin has primarily been a backup during his four-year NFL career that featured stops in Seattle, Cleveland and Dallas. He has 281 rushing attempts for 1,127 yards and a touchdown and 50 receptions for 450 yards and two touchdowns in his career.
“I absolutely pride myself on being able to do everything, on every down, as a running back,” Turbin says. "To me, the running back position is multi-dimensional, meaning you can do various types of things -- run the ball, pass protect, catch the ball, line up in the slot, run routes. I’ve always trained to be good at those things. A lot of my favorite running backs have those skill sets, so I’ve always tried to mimic those skill sets.”
