Bo Jackson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bo Jackson
Jackson in 2011
Born	(1962-11-30) November 30, 1962 (age 62) Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Football career
No. 34
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:	McAdory (McCalla, Alabama)
College:	Auburn (1982–1985)
NFL Draft:	1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Los Angeles Raiders (1987)
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (1990) Heisman Trophy (1985) Walter Camp Award (1985) SEC Player of the Year (1985) SN Player of the Year (1985) UPI Player of the Year (1985) Chic Harley Award (1985) Unanimous All-American (1985) Consensus All-American (1983) SEC Male Athlete of the Year (1986) 3× First-team All-SEC (1982, 1983, 1985) Auburn Tigers No. 34 retired
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 2,782 Rushing average: 5.4 Rushing touchdowns: 18 Receptions: 40 Receiving yards: 352 Receiving touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame
Baseball career
Outfielder / Designated hitter
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 2, 1986, for the Kansas City Royals
Last appearance
August 10, 1994, for the California Angels
MLB statistics
Batting average	.250
Home runs	141
Runs batted in	415
Teams
Kansas City Royals (1986–1990) Chicago White Sox (1991, 1993) California Angels (1994)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (1989) Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is a famous American athlete. He played both professional baseball and football. Bo Jackson is the only person in history to be named an All-Star in two major sports in North America. Many people think he is one of the greatest athletes ever because of his amazing skills in both sports.

Jackson played college baseball and football for the Auburn Tigers. He won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1985 for his football skills. After college, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Raiders. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels. In 1996, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

You might remember him from the "Bo Knows" advertising campaign by Nike in 1989 and 1990. These ads showed Bo trying out many different sports. They helped make him a household name, even outside of sports.

A hip injury in 1991 ended his football career. His baseball career finished in 1994. After sports, Jackson went back to college and earned his degree. He also appeared in some TV shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Married... with Children. Bo Jackson still holds an NFL record for long runs.

Early Life and High School Sports

Bo Jackson was born on November 30, 1962, in Bessemer, Alabama. He was the eighth of ten children. His family called him a "wild boar hog" because he was always getting into adventures.

He went to McAdory High School in McCalla. In his senior year, he ran for 1,175 yards as a running back in football. He also hit 20 home runs in just 25 games for his high school baseball team. Bo was also a two-time state champion in the decathlon, which is a competition with ten different track and field events. He was so good that he didn't even need to compete in the final event, the 1500 meters, to win.

College Years at Auburn (1982–1986)

In June 1982, the New York Yankees picked Bo Jackson in the baseball draft. But he decided to go to Auburn University on a football scholarship instead. He had promised his mother he would be the first in their family to attend a major college. At Auburn, he became an amazing athlete in both baseball and football.

College Football Highlights

While playing for the Auburn Tigers football team, Bo ran for 4,303 yards in his career. This was one of the best performances in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history. He also set an SEC record by averaging 6.6 yards every time he carried the ball.

In 1983, as a sophomore, Jackson ran for 1,213 yards. He averaged an incredible 7.7 yards per carry. In a big game against Alabama that year, he rushed for 256 yards. Auburn won the 1984 Sugar Bowl against Michigan, and Jackson was named the Most Valuable Player.

In 1985, Bo Jackson had an outstanding season, rushing for 1,786 yards. This led to him winning the Heisman Trophy, given to the best college football player. It was a very close vote! His football number, 34, was officially retired by Auburn in 1992. This means no other Auburn player will ever wear that number.

College Football Statistics

College Baseball and NCAA Issues

Bo Jackson also played college baseball. He missed much of his senior season because the NCAA (the organization that oversees college sports) said he couldn't play. This happened after he visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team. The Buccaneers told him the visit was approved, but it wasn't. This made him ineligible to play college baseball. Jackson believed the Buccaneers did this on purpose to make him choose football over baseball.

A baseball scout in 1985 said Bo's only weakness was not having much baseball experience. But the scout also said Bo could become one of the greatest players ever.

College Baseball Statistics

"Bo Over the Top"

On November 27, 1982, Auburn played their rival, Alabama, in the Iron Bowl. Auburn was behind by five points in the fourth quarter. With just over two minutes left, Bo Jackson and his team were close to the goal line. On fourth down, Bo convinced his coach to let him try to jump over the pile of players at the goal line. He had been a high jumper in high school and thought it would surprise the other team. Bo jumped "over the top" for a one-yard touchdown run, giving Auburn a 23–22 victory!

College Track and Field

Bo Jackson was also an amazing track and field athlete. He competed in sprinting, hurdles, jumping, throwing, and the decathlon. He ran the 100-meter dash in 10.39 seconds. He also had impressive jumps, including a high jump of 6 feet 9 inches.

Bo thought about a career in track and field, but he knew he could earn more money in baseball or football. He also wouldn't have enough time to train for track with his other sports commitments.

Professional Sports Career

Baseball: Kansas City Royals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Bo Jackson first in the 1986 NFL draft. But Bo refused to play for them because of the earlier NCAA issue. He had promised not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB draft. He signed a three-year contract worth over $1 million.

Jackson played a short time in the minor leagues before joining the Royals in September 1986. In 1987, he played his first full season, hitting 22 home runs.

A replica of Jackson's 1989 Kansas City Royals road uniform

In 1989, Bo Jackson was voted to start in the 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his great plays. In the first inning, he hit a huge home run. He also stole a base, becoming only the second player in All-Star Game history to hit a home run and steal a base in the same game. That year, he batted .256 with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in (RBI).

In 1990, Bo made a famous play called the "wall run." He caught a ball while running full speed towards the outfield wall. To avoid crashing, he ran three steps along the wall! The Royals released Jackson in 1991 because of his hip injury from football.

MLB Statistics

Baseball: Chicago White Sox and California Angels

After being released by the Royals, the Chicago White Sox signed Bo Jackson. He played for them in 1991 and 1993. He missed the 1992 season because he had hip replacement surgery. While with the White Sox, he made his only post-season appearance in 1993.

Bo had promised his mother he would hit a home run for her when he returned after his hip surgery. Sadly, his mother passed away before he could return. In his very first time at bat after surgery, he hit a home run. He got the ball back and planned to keep it to honor his mother.

In 1994, Jackson signed with the California Angels. He played 75 games before the season ended early due to a strike. After that season, Bo decided to retire from baseball at age 32. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. In his eight baseball seasons, Bo Jackson hit 141 home runs and had a career batting average of .250.

Football: Los Angeles Raiders

Even though Bo Jackson had said he didn't want to play in the NFL, the Los Angeles Raiders drafted him in 1987. Raiders owner Al Davis was a big fan of Bo and agreed to let him play both baseball and football. Bo would play the entire baseball season and then join the Raiders once it was over.

Jackson joined the Raiders in the middle of the 1987 season. In his rookie year, he rushed for 554 yards in just seven games. One of his most famous moments was on Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. Seahawks player Brian Bosworth had insulted Bo before the game. Bo responded by running right over Bosworth on his way to a touchdown! He also had a spectacular 91-yard run in that game.

Bo's best NFL season was in 1989, when he rushed for 950 yards. In 1990, he rushed for 698 yards and was chosen for the Pro Bowl, which is a game for the best players in the league.

Bo Jackson's football career ended because of a hip injury he got in a playoff game in January 1991. In his four seasons in the NFL, he rushed for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 221 rushing yards in a single game in 1987 is still a Monday Night Football record.

NFL Statistics

Hip Injury and Retirement

Bo Jackson's amazing athletic career was changed by an injury to his left hip. In his last football game in January 1991, he dislocated his hip after a tackle. Bo said he tried to put his hip back in place on the field, which might have hurt the blood vessels around it. Doctors later found that he had a fracture and a condition called avascular necrosis, where bone tissue dies because it doesn't get enough blood. This injury forced him to retire from football.

He returned to baseball with the White Sox in late 1991 but didn't play in 1992 while recovering from hip replacement surgery. He retired from all professional sports in 1994.

Bo's Popularity and "Bo Knows"

Bo Jackson became incredibly popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s because of his skills in multiple sports. He worked with Nike on a famous ad campaign called "Bo Knows". These ads showed Bo trying out many different sports like tennis, golf, and ice hockey. The ads also featured musician Bo Diddley, who would tell Bo Jackson, "You don't know Diddley!" This campaign was for Nike's cross-training shoes, which were new at the time.

Video Games

Bo Jackson is also famous in video game history. His character in the 1989 game Tecmo Bowl for the Nintendo Entertainment System was nicknamed "Tecmo Bo" because he was almost impossible to tackle. Players would often run him all the way back to his own one-yard line, then run 99 yards for a touchdown as defenders bounced off him.

Bo Jackson has had his own video games, including Bo Jackson's Hit and Run for the Game Boy and Bo Jackson Baseball for NES. He has also appeared in more recent games like Madden NFL and NFL Street 2.

Television Appearances

Bo Jackson was a character in ProStars, a Saturday morning cartoon show where he, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan fought crime. He also made guest appearances on TV shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Married... with Children.

Life After Sports

Jackson signed autographs for American soldiers in September 2007.

In 1995, Bo Jackson finished his college degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn. He did this to keep a promise he made to his mother.

Throughout the 1990s, Jackson tried acting, appearing in several TV shows and movies. He also became a part-owner and CEO of the Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex in Illinois, a large indoor sports facility. He has also invested in other businesses.

In 2009, Bo Jackson gave the graduation speech at Auburn University. He talked about how important it is to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. In 2014, he rejoined the Chicago White Sox as an ambassador for the team.

Personal Life

Bo Jackson has been married to Linda (née Garrett) since 1987. They met at Auburn University. They have three children: Garrett, Nicholas, and Morgan. The Jackson family lives in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

In 2017, Bo Jackson said in an interview that he would not have played football if he had known about the health risks, especially head injuries. He said that because we know so much more about conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) now, he would not let his own children play football today.

Bo Jackson sometimes talks about himself in the third person (saying "Bo" instead of "I"). He has done this since he was a child because he had a severe stutter that made it hard for him to say "I."

Charity Work

Bo Jackson is also known for his charity work. After a series of tornadoes hit Alabama in April 2011, he started a fundraiser called "Bo Bikes Bama." The tornadoes caused a lot of damage and left many people without power. Bo led a five-day bike tour through the affected towns to raise money. Celebrities like Scottie Pippen and Ken Griffey Jr. joined him. The "Bo Bikes Bama" campaign has raised over $1.1 million to help Alabama.

In 2022, Bo Jackson generously donated $170,000 to help pay for the funeral costs for the families of the victims of a tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

See Also

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