Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson
Born	Vincent Edward Jackson (1962-11-30) November 30, 1962 Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Professional athlete (baseball and football)
Years active	1986–1994 (professional sports)
Known for	Playing in both MLB and NFL; 1985 Heisman Trophy winner; "Bo Knows" Nike campaign

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is a former American professional athlete who competed in both baseball and football, distinguished as an All-Star in two premier U.S. sports leagues. He is widely celebrated as one of the most exceptional multi-sport competitors in history.

Jackson played college baseball as an outfielder and served as a running back in college football for the Auburn Tigers, securing the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1985. His professional career included stints with the Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League (NFL) and with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels in Major League Baseball (MLB). In recognition of his collegiate achievements, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

He became widely known through Nike’s 1989–1990 "Bo Knows" campaign, which advertised a cross-training shoe bearing his name.

A hip injury sustained in 1991 prematurely ended his football career, and he retired from baseball three years later in 1994. Following his athletic career, Jackson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development from Auburn University. He holds the NFL record for the most runs exceeding 90 yards from scrimmage, accomplishing this feat twice. Beyond sports, Jackson made appearances on television series such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Married... with Children, as well as in films including The Chamber.

Early life

Born on November 30, 1962, Jackson was the eighth child among ten siblings and grew up in Bessemer, Alabama. His family nicknamed him a "wild boar hog" due to his frequent spirited behavior.

At McAdory High School in McCalla, he excelled as a running back, rushing for 1,175 yards during his senior season. On the baseball diamond, he hit 20 home runs over 25 games and was twice crowned state decathlon champion. In both championships, he led by such a margin before the 1500-meter event that he did not participate in it. In 1982, Jackson set state indoor records with a high jump of 6 ft 9 in and a triple jump measuring 48 ft 8 in.

College (1982–1986)

Though selected by the New York Yankees in the second round (50th overall) of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft in June 1982, Jackson opted to attend Auburn University on a football scholarship, fulfilling his commitment to become the first member of his family to enroll at a major university. Recruited by head coach Pat Dye along with assistants Bobby Wallace and Dominic Sauer, Jackson distinguished himself in both football and baseball at Auburn. He shared the backfield with quarterback Randy Campbell, running backs Lionel "Little Train" James, and Tommie Agee.

Collegiate football

During his time with the Auburn Tigers football squad, Jackson amassed 4,303 rushing yards over his career, placing him fourth all-time in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He also set an SEC record by averaging 6.6 yards per carry on at least 400 rush attempts.

In his freshman season (1982), Auburn secured victory at the Tangerine Bowl against Boston College, where Jackson contributed two touchdowns and 64 rushing yards. The following year as a sophomore, he rushed for 1,213 yards with an impressive average of 7.7 yards per carry—the second-highest single-season average in SEC history. Notably, during the 1983 Auburn-Alabama game, he gained 256 yards on just 20 carries, marking one of the most outstanding performances recorded within the conference. That season concluded with Auburn’s triumph over Michigan in the Sugar Bowl, where Jackson earned Most Valuable Player honors. Despite injuries hampering his junior year (1984), he was named MVP of the Liberty Bowl after Auburn defeated Arkansas.

Jackson’s senior year (1985) saw him rush for 1,786 yards—the second-highest single-season total ever recorded in SEC history—and culminated with winning the closely contested Heisman Trophy, narrowly surpassing University of Iowa quarterback Chuck Long. In recognition of his accomplishments, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1986.

Concluding his Auburn tenure with 4,575 all-purpose yards and a total of 45 touchdowns (43 rushing and two receiving), Jackson maintained a remarkable career average of 6.6 yards per carry. His jersey number 34 was retired by Auburn University in 1992—a distinction shared only with fellow Heisman winner Pat Sullivan and receiver Terry Beasley. In 2007, ESPN ranked him eighth among its Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

Performance Data

colspan="11" style="Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"| Auburn Tigers
	Rushing					Receiving
Year	Attempts	Yards	Average	Longest	Touchdowns	Receptions	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
1982	127	829	6.5	53	9	5	64	12.8	0
1983	158	1,213	7.7	80	12	13	73	5.6	2
1984	87	475	5.5	53	5	4	62	15.5	0
1985	278	1,786	6.4	76	17	4	73	18.3	0
Totals	650	4,303	6.6	80	43	26	272	10.5	2

College Baseball Career

Jackson's senior baseball season was largely lost due to NCAA ineligibility after a meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he feels hindered his progression in the sport.

A scouting evaluation from 1985 noted Jackson had limited experience in baseball but commended his athletic versatility, describing him as a "do-it-all" athlete and labeling him "the best pure athlete in America today." Despite suffering a minor shoulder injury early on in his football career, it did not cause lasting problems. At 22 years old, Jackson appeared ready to broaden his influence beyond football; nonetheless, his initial Major League Baseball draft value was only $200,000—far below the income he would later accumulate.

Baseball Statistics

YEAR	Games	At Bats	Runs	Hits	Doubles	Triples	Home Runs	RBIs	Stolen Bases	Caught Stealing	Walks	Strikeouts	Batting Average	On-Base %	Slugging %	OPS
1983	26	68	14	19	4	0	4	13	5	2	14	34	.279	.443	.515	.958
1984	Injured
1985	42	147	55	59	5	6	17	43	9	1	26	41	.401	.500	.864	1.364
1986	22	69	21	18	3	2	7	14	5	0	20	30	.261	.424	.652	1.076
TOTALS	90	284	90	96	12	8	28	70	19	3	66	105	.338	.466	.729	1.195

"Bo Over the Top" Moment

On November 27, 1982, Jackson and Auburn Tigers competed against their in-state adversary, Alabama (with a record of 7–3), during the Iron Bowl held in Birmingham, Alabama. Auburn held a slim lead of 14–13 at halftime before Alabama's Paul Ott Carruth scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal, pushing the score to 22–14 as the fourth quarter began. Auburn closed the margin with a field goal from Al Del Greco from 23 yards out, making it 22–17. Starting on their own 34-yard line, Jackson converted a critical fourth-and-one on Alabama’s 42-yard line and kept advancing by catching an eight-yard pass to reach the one-yard line. Drawing on his high school experience as a high jumper, Jackson persuaded Coach Dye to let him attempt to "go over the top" on fourth down. With just two minutes and twenty-six seconds left on the clock, he scored a touchdown with a one-yard run, clinching a dramatic Auburn win over Alabama and legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Auburn concluded that season with a record of nine wins and three losses.

Track and Field at College

During his time at McAdory High School, Jackson excelled across multiple track and field disciplines including sprinting, hurdling, jumping events, throwing competitions, and decathlon. His fastest recorded high school time in the 100-meter dash was an impressive 10.44 seconds, which he improved to 10.39 seconds while at Auburn. Additionally, he ran the 100-yard dash in an outstanding time of 9.54 seconds and posted personal bests of 7.29 seconds in the 55m hurdles and 13.81 seconds in the 110 metres hurdles. In decathlon competition, he amassed a total of 8,340 points. His top marks also included performances in the high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, and discus throw.

Jackson qualified for NCAA national championships in the hundred-meter sprint during his freshman and sophomore years but opted not to pursue track professionally due to comparatively limited financial incentives relative to MLB or NFL prospects and constraints on his time from other obligations. Regarding reports that he ran a remarkable electronic time of approximately four-point-one-two seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 1986, Jackson clarified that he did not attend that event but instead recorded an electronically timed four-point-one-three seconds at an Auburn pro day; some coaches manually timed him between three-point-nine and four-point-zero seconds. He noted that as a likely top draft pick, attending the combine was unnecessary for him.

Personal Records

Event	Time (sec.)	Location	Date
100 meters	10.39	4134	111

Kansas City Royals

Although Jackson was chosen as the first overall pick in the 1986 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he declined to join the team after a private jet visit threatened his final college baseball season. Convinced that the Buccaneers bypassed NCAA clearance to coerce him into football, Jackson refused to sign with Tampa Bay. Instead, he pursued baseball, being selected in the fourth round (105th overall) by the reigning World Series champions, the Kansas City Royals.<ref> He agreed to a three-year contract valued just above $1 million and participated in 53 games for their Class AA affiliate, the Memphis Chicks, before making his MLB debut in September 1986.<ref> In 1987, Jackson, playing left field for the Royals, recorded a .235 batting average with 22 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases across 116 games.

On July 29, 1988, despite an unsuccessful timeout attempt, Jackson launched a memorable home run off Jeff Ballard. That season, he completed 124 games with a .246 average, 25 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases.

Jackson rose to prominence in 1989, securing a starting position and earning MVP honors at the American League 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He contributed a crucial defensive play, initiated a historic back-to-back home run sequence as the leadoff hitter, drove in the winning run, and stole second base, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

His 1989 statistics included a .256 batting average with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs over 135 games; however, he also tied for tenth-most strikeouts by a right-handed batter since 1893. On July 11, 1990, Jackson executed his famous "wall run" catch against the Orioles to secure an out while avoiding injury.

Known for his distinctive pregame ritual of shooting arrows at targets inside the clubhouse,<ref> Jackson matched a Major League record by hitting home runs in four consecutive at-bats during the 1990 season. After sustaining an injury related to football and facing the Royals' refusal to finance his $2.375 million rehabilitation salary in 1991, he was released on March 18.

On March 13, 2024, it was announced that Jackson would be inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame prior to their June game against Cleveland.<ref>

Chicago White Sox and California Angels

Only sixteen days following his release from Kansas City, Jackson signed a three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox guaranteeing $700,000 annually plus performance bonuses potentially reaching $8.15 million.<ref> White Sox co-owner Jerry Reinsdorf acknowledged that full seasons were unlikely due to Jackson's management of hip conditions including avascular necrosis. He appeared in 23 games during 1991 and returned for 85 games in 1993 after missing all of 1992 due to hip replacement surgery.<ref> His sole postseason participation with Chicago occurred during the 1993 American League Championship Series, where he went hitless in ten at-bats over three games as the White Sox fell to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Following surgery, Jackson honored a promise made to his late mother by hitting a home run in his first at-bat upon returning in 1993—a moment he commemorated by bronzing the ball.

On January 31, 1994, Jackson inked a one-year deal worth $1 million with the California Angels.<ref> That season he appeared in 75 games, batting .279 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs before play was cut short by the strike. At age 32 and valuing family time over lucrative offers, Jackson retired after that season.

Across eight MLB seasons, Jackson achieved a .250 batting average with 141 home runs and 415 RBIs while maintaining a .474 slugging percentage. His peak performance came in 1989 when he earned All-Star recognition and ranked fourth in the American League with his combined total of 32 home runs and 105 RBIs.<ref>

Distinguished Accomplishments

• American League All-Star (1989)
• Most Valuable Player of the 1989 All-Star Game
• AL Comeback Player of the Year in 1993
• Finished 10th in AL MVP voting during 1989
• Recorded one season with over 30 home runs (1989)
• Achieved four seasons with at least 20 home runs (1987–1990)
• Registered two seasons with 20 or more stolen bases (1988–1989)
• Logged a single season surpassing 100 RBIs (1989)

Major League Baseball Career Statistics

Year	Team	Games Played	Batting Stats
			At Bats	Runs	Hits	Doubles	Triples	Home Runs	RBIs	Stolen Bases	Caught Stealing	Walks	Strikeouts	Batting Average	On-Base Percentage	Slugging Percentage
1986	KC	25	82	9	17	2	1	2	9	3	1	7	34	.207	.286	.329
1987	KC	116	396	46	93	17	2	22	53	10	4	30	158	.235	.296	.455
1988	KC	124	439	63	108	16	4	25	68	27	6	25	146	.246	.287	.472
1989	KC	135	515	86	132	15	6	32	105	26	9	39	172	.256	.310	.495
1990	KC	111	405	74	110	16	1	28	78	15	9	44	128	.272	.342	.523
1991	CHW	23	71	8	16	4	0	3	14	0	1	12	25	.225	.333	.408
1993	CHW	85	284	32	66	9	0	16	45	0	2	23	106	.232	.289	.433
1994	CAL	75	201	23	56	7	0	13	43	1	0	20	72	.279	.344	.507
Career Totals		694	2,393	341	598	86	14	141	415	82	32	200	841	.250	.309	.474

Football

During his junior and senior years at Auburn University, Jackson prioritized baseball and showed reluctance toward pursuing an NFL career.

Prior to the 1986 NFL draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse arranged a private jet trip for Jackson to visit the team and undergo a physical examination during his senior baseball season—actions taken without approval from the NCAA or SEC. This led the SEC to declare Jackson ineligible, citing its rule against athletes maintaining amateur status in one sport while turning professional in another, which prematurely ended his college baseball season. Jackson later accused the Buccaneers of deliberately undermining his baseball prospects and vowed never to join their organization, despite being selected first overall by them in 1986.

Jackson’s college baseball coach, Hal Baird, was unaware of this trip and stated that had he known, he would have advised Jackson about the SEC’s regulations. This incident effectively eliminated any possibility of Jackson playing for Tampa Bay.

Before the 1987 NFL draft, the Buccaneers relinquished their rights to Jackson after he declined their $7.6 million offer over five years, opting instead for a $1.07 million three-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. Subsequently, in the 1987 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Raiders chose him in the seventh round as the 183rd overall pick. Although initially committed to baseball, Jackson reconsidered when Raiders owner Al Davis agreed to allow him to participate in both sports.

Jackson inked a five-year deal worth $7.4 million that permitted him to finish his MLB season before joining the Raiders, even if this meant missing some NFL games. At that time, he earned the highest salary ever paid to a non-quarterback player in the NFL, including a $500,000 signing bonus plus an additional $500,000 for returning in 1988.

He made his NFL debut in Week 8 of the 1987 season and rapidly became the Raiders’ primary running back despite being officially listed as a fullback. His most notable game occurred on Monday Night Football versus the Seattle Seahawks, where he rushed for a then-Raiders record of 221 yards and scored three touchdowns.

In his rookie NFL campaign, Jackson amassed 554 rushing yards on 81 carries (averaging 6.8 yards per attempt), scoring six total touchdowns across seven games with five starts. The following year, he appeared in ten games with nine starts, rushing for 580 yards and three touchdowns.

The 1989 season represented Jackson’s peak performance in football: eleven games played (nine starts), accumulating 950 rushing yards at an average of 5.5 yards per carry along with four touchdowns scored. His abbreviated 1990 season yielded 698 rushing yards and earned him his sole Pro Bowl selection.

Jackson’s professional football career concluded after sustaining a hip injury during a playoff game on January 13, 1991.

Across four NFL seasons, he totaled 2,782 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns on the ground (averaging 5.4 yards per carry), while also catching 40 passes for 352 yards and two receiving touchdowns. His remarkable rushing performance on November 30, 1987 remains a Monday Night Football record to this day.

NFL statistics

Season	Franchise	Games Played	Rushing Stats					Receiving Stats
			Attempts	Yards	Average	Longest	Touchdowns	Receptions	Yards	Average	Longest	Touchdowns
1987	RAI	7	81	554	6.8	91T	4	16	136	8.5	23	2
1988	RAI	10	136	580	4.3	25	3	9	79	8.8	27	0
1989	RAI	11	173	950	5.5	92T	4	9	69	7.7	20	0
1990	RAI	10	125	698	5.6	88	5	6	68	11.3	18	0
Total		38	515	2,782	5.4	92	16	40	352	9.1	27	2

Hip injury

Jackson’s sports career was significantly affected after he suffered a left hip injury during a playoff victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in January of 1991. It was reported that he tried to manually relocate his dislocated hip on the field, which may have compromised the blood flow to the joint. Subsequent medical evaluations diagnosed a fractured hip bone, traumatic chondrolysis, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head, conditions that ultimately ended his football career. Following his release by the Royals in spring training, Jackson briefly returned to baseball with the White Sox late in the same year but missed the entire subsequent season while undergoing hip replacement surgery.

"Bo Knows"

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Jackson became highly marketable due to his exceptional multi-sport abilities, serving as a prominent Nike ambassador. The "Bo Knows" advertising campaign centered around the Nike Air Trainer I, an innovative cross-training shoe, showcasing Jackson engaging in various sports such as tennis, golf, luge, auto racing, and ice hockey. This campaign left a lasting cultural imprint through its inventive approach and significantly enhanced both Jackson’s personal brand and Nike’s cross-training footwear line.

Homage

The professional wrestling tag team known as the Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield and Mark "Mr. Touchdown" Angelosetti) in CHIKARA named their finishing maneuver "Bo Jackson" as a tribute.

In music, Jackson was mentioned by A Tribe Called Quest in their track "Scenario" released in 1992. Jamaican dancehall artist Ini Kamoze referenced him in the popular song "Here Comes the Hotstepper" from 1995, while Foxy Brown included a nod to him in her song "Big Bad Mamma" from 1997.

Radio host James Golden adopted the moniker "Bo Snerdley" inspired by Jackson’s name. Additionally, Detroit rapper Boldy James titled his collaborative album with The Alchemist after Jackson and used his image for the cover of Super Tecmo Bo released in 2021.

Video games

Recognized as "the greatest athlete in video game history," Jackson’s virtual character earned the nickname "Tecmo Bo" through his portrayal in the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System game Tecmo Super Bowl (1991). In this game, he was nearly impossible to tackle; players often maneuvered him back to his own one-yard line before dashing for a full-field touchdown with defenders unable to stop him.

Jackson appeared in a Kia Sorento commercial in 2016 that referenced this video game legacy. He also starred in several video games including Bo Jackson's Hit and Run for Game Boy—a title blending baseball and football gameplay—and Bo Jackson Baseball for NES and IBM-compatible PCs. He is unlockable in ESPN NFL Football and featured in the title NFL Street 2 released in 2004.

His first appearance in the contemporary Madden series was with Madden NFL 15 and Madden NFL 16, followed by a return in Madden NFL 20 as part of the Madden Ultimate Team’s tenth anniversary celebration, where he later received a fan-created Golden Ticket card.

Television

Jackson was featured as a character in the ProStars animated series on NBC Saturday mornings, which also starred Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan; the voice of his cartoon version was provided by Dave Fennoy. Additionally, he appeared in animated form on the Captain N: The Game Master episode titled "Battle of the Baseball Know-It-Alls," with Blu Mankuma supplying his voice.

Life after sports

In 1995, Jackson completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn University, fulfilling a commitment made to his mother.

Throughout the 1990s, he explored acting, securing guest appearances on television programs such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Moesha, and Married... with Children. He also acted in movies including The Chamber and The Pandora Project.

Jackson held the position of President of the HealthSouth Sports Medicine Council, affiliated with the Birmingham-based HealthSouth Corporation.

The Chicago White Sox invited Jackson to throw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the 2005 World Series, a game that resulted in the White Sox securing their first championship in 88 years.

In 2007, Jackson became co-owner and CEO of the Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex, an 88,000-square-foot multi-sport facility located in Lockport, Illinois. His business ventures also include an interest in N'Genuity, a food company. Reflecting on his transition from athletics in 2009, he remarked, "I was good for sports, but sports was great to Bo Jackson."

Nike paid tribute to Jackson in 2007 by releasing a series of Dunk sneakers featuring three color schemes inspired by his famous "Bo Knows" Trainer campaign.

On May 9, 2009, Jackson was the keynote speaker at Auburn University's commencement ceremony, where he emphasized the importance of leaving one's comfort zone.

He joined the board of Burr Ridge Bank and Trust in 2009; following its acquisition by First Community Financial Bank and subsequently Busey Bank, Jackson stepped down from the board in 2017.

On July 12, 2010, Jackson participated in the Home Run Derby at Angel Stadium by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and competing in the celebrity softball game. Later that year, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recognizing his outstanding career achievements.

In January 2014, Jackson returned to the Chicago White Sox organization as a team ambassador alongside other franchise icons.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals. Jerseys bearing his number 34 continue to be sold by the Las Vegas Raiders.

In November 2021, Jackson partnered with Promise Nutraceuticals to introduce Hero Brand CBD products.

Personal life

Since 1987, Jackson has been married to Linda (née Garrett), a rehabilitation counselor whom he met at Auburn University while she pursued her master's degree. They have three children together: Garrett (born 1986), Nicholas (born 1988), and Morgan (born 1989). The family lives in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

During a 2017 interview with USA Today, Jackson expressed remorse about his football career due to health concerns related to head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He stated that given current knowledge about these risks, he would not permit his children to play football today.

Jackson often speaks about himself in the third person—a habit that originated from a childhood stutter that made pronouncing "I" difficult.

His great-nephew Shedrick Jackson is currently a player for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Charitable Work

Jackson established the organization "Bo Bikes Bama" in response to the catastrophic tornadoes that struck Alabama in April 2011. The inaugural event was a five-day cycling tour passing through communities heavily impacted by the storms, with participation from notable figures such as Scottie Pippen, Ken Griffey Jr., Lance Armstrong, and Brett Favre. While initially planned as a single occurrence, the event transitioned into an annual gran fondo spanning roughly 62 miles. To date, this initiative has generated more than $1.1 million for the Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund. The 2025 edition is designated to be the final ride.

In 2022, Jackson contributed $170,000 to assist with funeral costs for those affected by the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two adults.

See also

• List of multi-sport athletes
• List of athletes who played in Major League Baseball and the National Football League

Further reading

• Gutman, Bill, Bo Jackson, 1991, Simon Spotlight Entertainment
• White, Ellen Emerson, Bo Jackson: Playing the Games, 1990