Bo Jackson | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jackson in 2011 | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1962-11-30)November 30, 1962 (age 63) Bessemer, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Football career | |||||||||||||||
| No. 34 | |||||||||||||||
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | McAdory (McCalla, Alabama) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Auburn (1982–1985) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1986: 1st round,1st overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Baseball player Baseball career | |||||||||||||||
| Outfielder /Designated hitter | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| September 2, 1986, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| August 10, 1994, for the California Angels | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .250 | ||||||||||||||
| Hits | 598 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 141 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 415 | ||||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 82 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Vincent Edward "Bo"Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professionalbaseball andfootball player. He is the only professional athlete in history to have been named anAll-Star intwo major American sports.[1] Jackson's achievements at the elite levels of multiple sports have given him a reputation as one of the greatest athletes of all time.[2]
Jackson playedcollege baseball as anoutfielder andcollege football as arunning back for theAuburn Tigers, and won theHeisman Trophy in 1985. He played in theNational Football League (NFL) for theLos Angeles Raiders and inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theKansas City Royals,Chicago White Sox, andCalifornia Angels. He was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and theKansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 2024.[3]
In 1989 and 1990, Jackson's name became known beyond just sports through the "Bo Knows"advertising campaign, a series of advertisements byNike, starring Jackson alongside musicianBo Diddley, promoting across-trainingathletic shoe named for Jackson.[1]
A 1991 hip injury ended his football career and caused him to miss the entire1992 MLB season; he returned to winThe Sporting News AL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1993,[4] and retired after the strike-shortened1994 season.[5] Jackson expanded into other pursuits, including the completion of hisBachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn. Jackson still holds the NFL record for most runs of 90+ yards from scrimmage with two.[a][1] In addition, Jackson appeared in small roles as an actor in television shows such asThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air[6] andMarried... with Children,[7] as well as films such asThe Chamber. He has been featured on the cover ofSports Illustrated 13 times.[8]
Jackson, the eighth of ten children, was born on November 30, 1962, and raised inBessemer, Alabama. He did not meet his father until age 10.[9] His family referred to him as a "wild boar hog," as he would constantly get into trouble.[10] This was later shortened to "Bo", the name he has gone by ever since.[9]
Jackson attendedMcAdory High School inMcCalla, where he served as the team'srunning back and rushed for 1,175 yards on 118 carries with 17 touchdowns as a senior.[11] He also excelled inbaseball, breaking the national high school record forhome runs by hitting 20 in 25 games during his senior season.[12]
Intrack and field, Jackson was a two-time state champion in thedecathlon.[13] Both times that he was the decathlon state champion, he built up such a commanding points lead before the1500 meters that he never competed in that event. "Distance is the only thing I hate about track," he said.[14] Jackson set state high school records for indoorhigh jump (6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)),[15] which stood for 37 years,[16] andtriple jump (48 ft 7.25 in (14.81 m)).[b][17]
In June 1982, Jackson was selected by theNew York Yankees in the second round (50th overall) of the1982 Major League Baseball draft and was offered a $250,000 contract,[18][19] but he instead chose to attendAuburn University on a football scholarship because he promised his mother he would be the first in the family to go to a major college.[10] He was recruited by head coachPat Dye and then Auburn assistant coachBobby Wallace alongside defensive head coach Dominic Sauer. At Auburn, he proved to be a tremendous athlete in both baseball and football. He shared the backfield withquarterbackRandy Campbell,Lionel "Little Train" James andTommie Agee.
During his time playing for theAuburn Tigers football team, he ran for 4,303 career yards,[20] which was the fourth-best performance inSoutheastern Conference (SEC) history and still stands as theschool record.[21] Jackson finished his career with an average of 6.6 yards per carry, which set the SEC record (minimum 400 rushes).[22]
In1982, Jackson's freshman year, Auburn playedBoston College in theTangerine Bowl, where Jackson made a one-handed grab on an option pitch. Auburn went on to win the game 33–26 as Jackson rushed 14 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns.[23]
In1983, as a sophomore, Jackson rushed for 1,213 yards on 158 carries, for an average of 7.7 yards per carry, which was the second-best single-season average in SEC history (minimum 100 rushes). In the 1983Auburn-Alabama game, Jackson rushed for 256 yards on 20 rushes (12.8 yards per carry), which at the time was the sixth-most rushing yards gained in a game in SEC history and the second best yard-per-rush average in a game (minimum 20 attempts) in SEC history. Auburn finished the season by winning theSugar Bowl againstMichigan, where Jackson was namedMost Valuable Player. In1984, Jackson's junior year (most of which Jackson missed due to injury), he earned Most Valuable Player honors at theLiberty Bowl after defeating Arkansas.[24]
In1985, Jackson rushed for 1,786 yards, which was the second-best single-season performance in SEC history. For his performance in 1985, Jackson was awarded theHeisman Trophy in what was considered the closest margin of victory ever in the history of the award, winning overUniversity of Iowa quarterbackChuck Long.[20] In 1986, he received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member and Heisman Trophy winnerHerschel Walker.[25]
Jackson finished his career at Auburn with 4,575 all-purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns, 43 rushing and two receiving, with a 6.6 yards per carry average. Jackson's football number 34 was officially retired at Auburn in a halftime ceremony on October 31, 1992.[26] His is one of only three numbers retired at Auburn. The others are 1971Heisman Trophy winnerPat Sullivan's number 7, and the number 88 of Sullivan's teammate and favorite receiver,Terry Beasley. In 2007, Jackson was ranked #8 onESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list. In 2025, Auburn honored Jackson at theIron Bowl to commemorate the 40th anniversary of hisHeisman Trophy-winning season.[27]
| Auburn Tigers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
| Year | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | No. | Yds | Avg | TD | |
| 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 | |
Jackson missed much of his senior season after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA following a visit with theTampa Bay Buccaneers, whom he believes tried to sabotage his baseball career.[9]
In an April 1985 report, a major league scout stated that Jackson's only weakness was a lack of baseball experience. The scout said that he could be one of the all-time greats barring any injuries. He had a minor shoulder injury in the beginning of his collegiate football career, which didn't cause him issues in the long term. The scout also noted that this was his first year playing baseball and he seemed to be a "do-it-all type of player" and also stated he was "the best pure athlete in America today". At the time, Jackson was 22 years old, and trying to make an even bigger name for himself than he already had in his football career. In this scouting report, Jackson's worth to an MLB team was listed at only $200,000, much less than what he would end up taking home later on in his short-lived careers.[28]
| YEAR | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 26 | 68 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 34 | .279 | .443 | .515 | .958 |
| 1984 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||||
| 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 |
On November 27, 1982, Jackson and the Tigers found themselves embattled with their heated in-state rival,Alabama (7–3), in theIron Bowl inBirmingham, Alabama. Auburn held a 14–13 halftime lead when Alabama running backPaul Ott Carruth scored on an eight-yard touchdown run—and then the Crimson Tide added a field goal to make it a 22–14 Alabama lead going into the fourth quarter. Auburn responded asAl Del Greco made a 23-yard field goal to make it a 22–17 score in the fourth quarter. From Auburn's own 34-yard line, Jackson and company began a long drive as he converted on a 4th-and-1 at the Alabama 42. Jackson, who ran 17 times for 114 yards during this Iron Bowl, continued marching his team downfield as he caught an 8-yard pass from quarterback Randy Campbell down to the Alabama one-yard line. During the huddle, Jackson convinced Coach Dye to let him go over the top of offensive and defensive lines because he was a seven-foot high jumper in high school and the other team wouldn't be expecting it. On fourth down with 2:26 left in the game, Jackson completed the drive by going over the top for a one-yard touchdown run as Auburn (which finished 9–3 in 1982) pulled off a 23–22 victory over Alabama and coachPaul "Bear" Bryant.[30]
While atMcAdory High School, Jackson competed as a sprinter, hurdler, jumper, thrower and decathlete. His best 100-meter time in high school was 10.44 seconds, but he would later run a 10.39 at Auburn. He also ran the100-yard dash in 9.59 seconds[c][31] and the60-yard dash in 6.18 seconds.[32] As a hurdler, he recorded times of 7.29 seconds in the55m hurdles and 13.81 seconds in the110m hurdles. Indecathlon, he reached 8,340 points. In the jumping events, he had personal-best jumps of 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) in thehigh jump, 7.52 m (24 ft 8 in) in thelong jump and 14.85 m (48 ft 9 in) in thetriple jump. As a thrower, he got top-throws of 15.27 m (50 ft 1 in) in theshot put and 45.44 m (149 ft 1 in) in thediscus throw.[33]
Jackson qualified for the NCAA nationals in the 100-meter dash in his freshman and sophomore years. He considered a career in track and field, but sprinting would not gain him the financial security of MLB or the NFL, nor would he have sufficient time to train, given his other commitments. When asked if he ran a 4.1240-yard dash at the 1986NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest time ever recorded in NFL Combine history and a time that has been rumored from several sources,[34] Jackson claimed some of the coaches hand-timed him at 3.9 and 4.0, but that he actually ran a 4.13 electronic-timed 40-yard dash at a pro day at Auburn University.[35] He also stated he did not attend the 1986 Scouting Combine: "I did not go because I was already picked to be the first person to go in the draft," Jackson said. "If you're going to be the first person to go in the draft, why should you go to a combine and do all of that?"[34]
| Event | Time (sec.) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 meters | 10.39[36] | 4134 | 111 |
Jackson was selected with thefirst overall pick of the1986 NFL draft by theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[37] He refused to play for them after a visit to team facilities using a private jet caused him to be ineligible to finish out his final college baseball season. The Buccaneers said the use of the jet was NCAA-approved, which was not the case. Jackson believes that the failure to obtain NCAA approval was deliberate and was intended by the Buccaneers to get him to play football instead of baseball. He vowed not to sign with Tampa Bay should they draft him, which they did anyway. He kept his vow and opted to play baseball for theKansas City Royals, the defendingWorld Series champions, who drafted him in the fourth round (105th overall), in the1986 Major League Baseball draft.[38] Shortly after the draft, Jackson signed a three-year contract with the Royals worth just over $1 million. He spent 53 games[39] with theMemphis Chicks,[40] the Royals'Class AAminor league affiliate, and was called up to the majors in September 1986. Jackson made his major league debut on September 2 against the Chicago White Sox, and finished the game 1-for-3.[41] He made the Royals' roster in 1987 as a left fielder, and batted .235 with 22 home runs, 53 RBI and 10stolen bases in 116 games;[42] his 22 home runs set a Royals rookie record.[43]
On July 29, 1988, playing against theBaltimore Orioles, Jackson, batting againstJeff Ballard, attempted to call time out as Ballard was delivering the ball. The time-out wasn't granted, but Jackson recovered to swing and hit the pitch over the left-field wall for a home run despite taking one hand off the bat at the beginning of the at bat.[44] He finished the 1988 season batting .246 with 25 home runs, 68 RBI and a career-high 27 stolen bases in 124 games,[42] becoming the first Royals player to record a25–25 season.[43]
Jackson began to show his true potential in 1989, and was voted to start for theAmerican LeagueAll-Star team and named the MVP for his play on both offense and defense. In the top of the first inning, he caughtPedro Guerrero's two-out line drive to left-center field to save two runs.[45] Then he led off the bottom of the first—his first All-Star plate appearance—with a monstrous 448-foot (137 m) home run againstRick Reuschel of theSan Francisco Giants.NBC-TV announcerVin Scully exclaimed, "Look at that one! Bo Jackson says hello!"Wade Boggs followed with his own home run, making them the first pair in All-Star history to lead off the first inning with back-to-back home runs.[46] In the second inning, he beat the throw on a potential double play to drive in the eventual winning run. He then stole second base, making him the second player inAll-Star Game history to hit a home run and steal a base in the same game (the first wasWillie Mays). Jackson finished the game 2-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI.[47]
In 1989, Jackson batted .256 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI in 135 games. His 172 strikeouts tied him for 10th most strikeouts in a season for a right-handed batter since 1893.[42] On July 11, 1990, against theOrioles, Jackson performed his famous "wall run", when he caught a ball six strides away from the wall. As he caught the ball at full tilt, Jackson looked up and ran three steps along the wall, to avoid impact and the risk ofinjury from the fence.[48]
Before Royals games, Jackson used to shoot at a target with a bow and arrow in the Royals clubhouse.[49]
During the 1990 season, Jackson hit HRs in four consecutive at-bats, tying a Major League record (held by several). His fourth came offRandy Johnson, after hitting his first three before a stint on thedisabled list.[50] Unwilling to pay his $2.375 million salary in 1991 to rehabilitate his football injury, the Royals released Jackson on March 18, 1991.[51]
On March 13, 2024, the Royals announced that Jackson had been elected to the Royals Hall of Fame and would be inducted before the team's June 29 game against Cleveland.[52]
Only 16 days after Jackson was released by the Royals, theChicago White Sox offered him a three-year deal, guaranteeing $700,000 per season with a performance-based upside of $8.15 million over the term.[53] White Sox co-ownerJerry Reinsdorf stated they did not anticipate him to play all seasons while he addressed his hip issues andavascular necrosis. Jackson played two seasons appearing in 23 games in 1991 and 85 games in 1993.
He appeared on White Sox' disabled roster during the1992 season due to completing hip replacement surgery earlier that year.[54] He would become the first athlete in professional sports history to compete with an artificial hip.[55] While with the White Sox, Jackson promised his mother that once he returned from his hip replacement surgery in 1993, he would hit a home run for her. Before he could return, his mother died. In his first at-bat after surgery, he hit a home run to right field. Jackson recovered the ball by trading an autographed bat for it, and stated he planned to have it bronzed and placed on her dresser.[56]
Later that season, a three-run home run by Jackson clinched the AL West title and the first playoff berth for the White Sox in a decade.[55][57] He was namedThe Sporting News AL Comeback Player of the Year.[58] In the only post-season appearance of his career, Jackson went hitless in 10 at-bats, but drew three walks and scored a run as the White Sox lost to theToronto Blue Jays in six games in theAmerican League Championship Series.[42]
On January 31, 1994, Jackson signed a one-year, $1 million contract with theCalifornia Angels.[59][60] He played in 75 games, batting .279 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI before the season was cut short by the 1994–95 baseballstrike.[42] After the season, Jackson decided to retire at age 32. "I got to know my family," he said, "That looks better to me than any $10 million contract."[61]
In his eight baseball seasons, Jackson had a career batting average of .250, hit 141 home runs and had 415 RBI, with aslugging percentage of .474. His best year was 1989, with his effort earning him All-Star status. In 1989, Jackson ranked fourth in the American League in both home runs, with 32, and RBI, with 105.[42][62]
| Year | Team | G | Standard batting | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | |||
| 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 |
| 1992 | CHW | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 |
| TOTALS | 694 | 2,393 | 341 | 598 | 86 | 14 | 141 | 415 | 82 | 32 | 200 | 841 | .250 | .309 | .474 | |
During his junior and senior years at Auburn, Jackson transitioned his focus to baseball and became increasingly vocal about his unwillingness to play in the NFL.[63]
A month before the1986 NFL draft,Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner and Alabama alumHugh Culverhouse took him on a private jet to visit with the team and get a physical during his senior baseball season. Jackson was told by the Buccaneers that the trip had been cleared by the NCAA and SEC. In truth, it had not, and because the SEC barred athletes from being professional in one sport and amateur in another, he was declared ineligible near the tail end of his senior baseball season. Years later, Jackson told ESPN that he has long believed the Buccaneers sabotaged his collegiate baseball career "because of the season I was having". He was so angry at the Buccaneers' actions that he vowed never to play a down for them, going as far as to tell Culverhouse, "You draft me if you want. You're going to waste a draft pick. I can promise you that."[64]
Jackson's collegiate baseball coach,Hal Baird, told theTampa Bay Times that no one from either camp mentioned the trip to him, and feared the worst when Jackson told him that the trip had been paid for. Baird maintained that had he known about the trip, he would have told Jackson about the SEC rule that barred him from playing professional football while being an amateur in baseball. Along similar lines, Dye told theTimes that once Jackson concluded that the Tampa Bay trip was "a tactical move", it ended any chance of him ever playing for the Buccaneers.[64]
Despite this, the Buccaneers selected Jackson with the first overall pick in the 1986 draft.[37] Jackson turned down the Buccaneers' $7.6 million, five-year contract in favor of a $1.07 million, three-year contract with theKansas City Royals, and the Buccaneers forfeited his rights before the1987 draft.[65] Choosing to sleep in rather than attend the 1987 NFL draft, Jackson found out that he was selected in the seventh round (183rd overall) by theLos Angeles Raiders.[66] Initially, Jackson stated he would continue to focus on baseball and would not sign, but his interest was piqued when he learned Raiders ownerAl Davis was a fan of Jackson and receptive to Jackson playing both baseball and football.[1][63] A five-year, $7.4 million contract was negotiated where Jackson would be permitted to play the entire baseball season with the Royals and would report to the Raiders once the MLB season was finished even if it meant missing NFL games. In addition to this, Davis gave Jackson the highest salary of any non-quarterback player in NFL history, and Jackson would receive a reported $500,000 signing bonus plus another $500,000 if he returned the following year in 1988.[67][68]
Jackson joined the Raiders in time for their Week 8 matchup against theNew England Patriots, where he rushed for a total of 37 yards on eight carries. Jackson shared the backfield withMarcus Allen, himself an All-Pro and former Heisman Trophy winner, but eventually supplanted him as the featured running back despite being listed as the team'sfullback. Perhaps his most notable performance in his rookie season came onMonday Night Football against theSeattle Seahawks in Week 12. Prior to the game SeahawkslinebackerBrian Bosworth insulted Jackson and promised in a media event before the game to contain Jackson. Jackson responded by running over Bosworth on his way to a touchdown near the goal line. He also made a 91-yard run in the second quarter, to the outside, untouched down the sideline. Jackson rushed for 221 yards that night and two touchdowns. He added a third with a reception. The 221 yards was a single-game record for the Raiders at the time.
In his rookie season, Jackson rushed for a total of 554 yards on only 81 carries for a 6.8 yards per carry average. He played in seven games, starting five, and scored a total of six touchdowns (four rushing, two receiving). The next year, Jackson played in ten of the Raiders' sixteen games with nine starts, recording a total of 580 yards and three touchdowns.
Jackson's 1989 season was his best in the league. In eleven games, with nine starts, Jackson rushed for a total of 950 yards with a 5.5 yards per carry average and four touchdowns. In his abbreviated 1990 campaign, Jackson rushed for 698 yards and was selected to the only Pro Bowl of his career.
Jackson sustained an NFL career-ending hip injury from a seemingly routine tackle at the end of a 34-yard run in a playoff game on January 13, 1991, against the Bengals.[1][69][70]
In his four seasons in the NFL, Jackson rushed for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns with an average yards per carry of 5.4. He also caught 40 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson's 221 yards on November 30, 1987, just 29 days after his first NFL carry, is still aMonday Night Football record.
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 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 |
| Career | 38 | 515 | 2,782 | 5.4 | 92 | 16 | 40 | 352 | 9.1 | 27 | 2 | |
State records set
Jackson's athletic career was affected by an injury to his left hip. In his last football game, a playoff victory over theCincinnati Bengals in January 1991, Jackson suffered a dislocated hip following a tackle. In the filmYou Don't Know Bo, Jackson claimed that when he realized his injury on the field, hepopped his hip back into the socket, which damaged the blood vessels supplying blood to the hip.[143] While doctors did not find proof that Jackson reset his hip, they did discover that there was a fracture of one of Jackson's hip bones, as well as traumatic chondrolysis (the loss of the thin layer of cartilage that lines the ball-and-socket hip joint) andavascular necrosis (death of bone tissue) of thefemoral head.[144] He would be forced to retire from football, and was then cut by the Royals in spring training. Jackson would return to competition with the White Sox toward the end of the 1991 baseball season but did not play the 1992 season while having his hip replaced.[54]
Jackson became a popular figure for his athleticism in multiple sports through the late 1980s and early 1990s. He endorsed Nike and was involved in a popular ad campaign called "Bo Knows" which envisioned Jackson attempting to take up a litany of other sports, includingtennis,golf,luge,auto racing,ice hockey, and playingblues music withBo Diddley, who scolded Jackson by telling him, "You don't know Diddley!"[145] This "Bo Knows" marketing campaign was for the release of the Nike Air Trainer I, or Air Trainer SC, a cross-training shoe, the first of its kind.[146]
TheCHIKARAprofessional wrestlingtag team the Throwbacks (baseball playerDasher Hatfield and football playerMark "Mr. Touchdown" Angelosetti) had a finishing move called "Bo Jackson".[147][148]
In 1992, the American hip-hop groupA Tribe Called Quest referenced Jackson in their song "Scenario."
In 1995, Jamaicandancehall artistIni Kamoze referenced Jackson in his biggest single, "Here Comes the Hotstepper."
In 1997,Foxy Brown referenced Jackson in her song "Big Bad Mamma."
Radio personalityJames Golden adopted the stage name "Bo Snerdley" in homage to Jackson. ("Snerdley" was a last name that Golden's employer,Rush Limbaugh, frequently used as aplaceholder name.)[149]
Detroit rapperBoldy James named his 2021 album withThe Alchemist after Jackson, as well as using his likeness for his 2021 albumSuper Tecmo Bo.
Called "the greatest athlete in video game history",[150] Jackson's digital counterpart was nicknamed by fans "Tecmo Bo" since being featured in the 1991 video gameTecmo Super Bowl for theNintendo Entertainment System, where he is all but untacklable.[151][152] Players would make the popular move of running Bo all the way back to his own one-yard line, then run 99 yards for a touchdown with defenders literally bouncing off him. Referencing his video game character, Jackson was featured in a 2016 advertisement for theKia Sorento, with Jackson driving the car into a virtual stadium (a second ad features Brian Bosworth with Jackson referencing the infamousMonday Night Football touchdown run).[153]
Jackson has his own video game for the originalGame Boy portable gaming system,Bo Jackson's Hit and Run. The game featured both baseball and football. Released around the same time wasBo Jackson Baseball for theNES system andIBM-compatible computers. Jackson can be unlocked as a player inESPN NFL Football. Jackson made an appearance in the 2004 video gameNFL Street 2.[154] Jackson also made his first appearance in the modern Madden series,Madden 15 andMadden 16. He later returned inMadden NFL 20 as part of the Madden Ultimate Team 10th Anniversary promo, before getting a community-made Golden Ticket card.
Jackson was a character inProStars, anNBCSaturday morning cartoon show which also featuresWayne Gretzky andMichael Jordan fighting crime and helping children; though he made physical cameos in the live-action segments of several episodes, his cartoon counterpart was voiced by actorDave Fennoy. Jackson likewise appeared in animated form in theCaptain N: The Game Master episode "Battle of the Baseball Know-It-Alls", this time voiced by Canadian actor Blu Mankuma.[155]
In 1995, Jackson completed hisBachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn[1] to fulfill the promise he made to his mother.[20]
Through the 1990s, Jackson dabbled in acting, having made several television guest appearances first onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990 as well asLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,Moesha, andMarried... with Children. He later appeared in small roles in the filmsThe Chamber,The Pandora Project andFakin' Da Funk.[156]
Jackson served as the President of the HealthSouth Sports Medicine Council, part ofBirmingham, Alabama-basedHealthSouth Corporation.[1]
TheChicago White Sox chose Jackson to throw theceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the2005 World Series.[157] The White Sox went on to win that game on a ninth-inning walk-off home run, then swept theHouston Astros for theirfirst championship in 88 years.[158]
In 2007, Jackson became part-owner and CEO of the new Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex, an 88,000-square-foot (8,200 m2) multi-sport dome facility inLockport, Illinois. His other investments include food company N'Genuity. In 2009, he reflected on his business career launched upon his sports success, "I was good for sports, but sports was great to Bo Jackson."[159]
In 2007, Nike released a set ofNike Dunk shoes honoring Bo Jackson.[160] The set featured three colorways based on previously released Nike shoes: the "Bo Knows" Trainer I, Trainer 91 and Medicine Ball Trainer III.[161]
On May 9, 2009, Jackson delivered thecommencement speech at Auburn University's graduation ceremony, about the benefits of stepping out of one'scomfort zone.[162]
In 2009, he joined the board of Burr Ridge Bank and Trust. In 2013, the bank was acquired by First Community Financial Bank, who retained him as a board member. In 2017, First Community was acquired byBusey Bank, and Jackson left the board.
On July 12, 2010, Jackson threw the ceremonial first pitch before the 2010 Home Run Derby atAngel Stadium[163] and participated in the celebrity softball game.[164] In December 2010, he was named a 2011 winner of theNCAA Silver Anniversary Award, given annually to six former NCAA student-athletes for distinguished career accomplishment on the 25th anniversary of their college graduation.[165]
On January 22, 2014, Jackson rejoined the Chicago White Sox as an ambassador for the team — joining the ranks ofFrank Thomas,Minnie Miñoso,Carlton Fisk,Ron Kittle,Carlos May, andBill Melton.[166]
Jackson was inducted into theBaseball Reliquary'sShrine of the Eternals in 2016.[79] Jackson's number 34 jerseys are still sold by the Las Vegas Raiders.[167]
Working with his brand Promise Nutraceuticals, Jackson announced a line ofCBD products called Hero Brand CBD in November 2021.[168]
Jackson has been married to Linda (née Garrett), arehabilitation counselor, since 1987. The couple met at Auburn, where Linda received her master's degree. They have three children: son Garrett, born 1986, son Nicholas, born 1988, and daughter Morgan, born 1989.[169] Jackson and his family live inBurr Ridge, Illinois.
In a 2017 interview withUSA Today, Jackson said he never would have played football if he had known the health risks associated with it. "I wish I had known about all of those head injuries, but no one knew that. And the people that did know that, they wouldn't tell anybody," he said. "The game has gotten so violent, so rough. We're so much more educated on this CTE stuff (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), there's no way I would ever allow my kids to play football today."[170]
Jackson is known frequently torefer to himself in the third person, a habit he has had since his childhood due to his severestutter; which made it difficult for him to say "I".[171]
Jackson's great-nephewShedrick Jackson plays for theLas Vegas Raiders.[172]
On theDan Patrick Show on February 5, 2026, Jackson announced he is a cancer survivor, having his prostate removed.[173]
In an effort to help his native state of Alabama, Jackson began a fundraiser known as "Bo Bikes Bama". The event began after a series of tornadoes devastated Alabama on April 27, 2011. The tornadoes claimed hundreds of lives and left many Alabama residents without power. The bike tour lasted five days where Jackson visited towns that had been demolished by the series of tornadoes. Bo was accompanied on this tour by celebrities such asScottie Pippen,Ken Griffey Jr.,Lance Armstrong, andBrett Favre. The five-day gran fondo was a one-time event, but has become an annual[174] maximum single-day gran fondo lasting approximately 62 miles. The "Bo Bikes Bama" campaign has raised over $1.1 million for the Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund.[175][176] The 2025 "Bo Bikes Bama" event will be the final event.[177]
In 2022, Jackson donated $170,000 to pay for the funeral expenses for the victims' families following themassacre of 19 children and two adults inUvalde, Texas.[178]
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