Gore, Vilma Rivalary Dates Back To High School

[ChosenOne]

The rivalry between New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and San Francisco 49ers tailback Frank Gore was so intense during their time together at Coral Gables High School in South Florida that their coach, Joe Montoya, said he often had to replace one of them on the practice field out of fear that "they'd end up killing each other."

And the competition didn't end there.

 

Montoya also recalled a time when the two alpha males broke into a full-on wrestling match inside his office.

 

"They started out arm-wrestling, then they're throwing each other against my table," said Montoya, who stopped short of calling it a "friendly" rivalry but said that Vilma and Gore have always held each other in high esteem as their careers led them both to the University of Miami, then to NFL stardom.

 

Vilma, who agreed with that assessment, laughed at the memory of that impromptu wrestling match, which took place when he came back to visit during his freshman year at Miami, while Gore was still a senior in high school.

 

"He swore that he was stronger than me, and I knew that I was stronger than him, so we started wrestling, " Vilma said. "So of course I won, then obviously he tried to act like he won. ... We respected each other, but I was definitely winning that one.

 

"We competed in anything and everything. He was by far the best back in Dade (County), and I was trying to be the best linebacker in Dade. It was best on best."

 

More than a decade later, that still will be the case Monday night in San Francisco, when Vilma once again lines up across the field from Gore.

 

When the Saints and Vilma meet the 49ers and Gore on Monday night, that longstanding rivalry between the pair of two-time Pro Bowl players may be the most important matchup. Gore (5 feet 9 inches, 217 pounds) is the centerpiece of the 49ers' run-first offense, and Vilma (6-1, 230) is the "quarterback" of the Saints' defense that will make stopping Gore its first priority.

 

That won't be as easy at it sounds, though. Vilma laughed again when asked why it's so hard for defenses to stop Gore, even though he's always the primary focus for opposing defenses each week.

 

LINK - Read More

 

Monday Night is going to be very fun to watch.

Edited September 18, 2010 by ChosenOne

[Flash]

Those guys were both animals at the U, especially VIlma. It's a shame Gore hurt is knee because he was the best back out of that entire group we had. Best HS running back in Dade County history.

[EastCoastNiner]

Hopefully Gore can tear it up Monday.

 

I really don't have any expectation for that game, but hopefully the 49er's can pull out a win at home.