Bo Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bo Jackson
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Jackson in 2011
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| Born | November 30, 1962 Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
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Football career |
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| 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) |
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| College: | Auburn (1982–1985) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Baseball career |
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| Outfielder / Designated hitter | |||||||||||||
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| 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 | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is a famous American athlete. He played both professional baseball and football. He is the only athlete ever to be named an All-Star in two major sports in North America. Many people consider Bo Jackson one of the greatest athletes of all time because of his amazing skills in different sports.
Jackson played college baseball and football for the Auburn Tigers. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1985, which is a top award in college football. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Raiders. In Major League Baseball (MLB), he played for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels. He was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
In 1989 and 1990, Jackson became even more famous through the "Bo Knows" advertising campaign by Nike. These ads showed Jackson trying out many different sports. A hip injury in 1991 ended his football career. His baseball career ended in 1994. After sports, Jackson finished his college degree. He also appeared in TV shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Bo Jackson was born on November 30, 1962, in Bessemer, Alabama. He was the eighth of ten children. His family used to call him a "wild boar hog" because he often got into trouble.
He went to McAdory High School in McCalla. In high school, he was an amazing athlete. As a senior, he ran for 1,175 yards in football. He also hit 20 home runs in just 25 baseball games. Jackson was a two-time state champion in the decathlon, which is a competition with ten different track and field events.
College Sports Career
In June 1982, the New York Yankees picked Jackson in the baseball draft. However, he chose to go to Auburn University on a football scholarship. He had promised his mother he would be the first in their family to attend a major college. At Auburn, he was a fantastic athlete in both baseball and football.
College Football Highlights
While playing for the Auburn Tigers football team, Jackson 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 per carry.
In 1985, Jackson ran for 1,786 yards, which was the second-best single-season performance in SEC history. For this amazing year, he won the Heisman Trophy. This award is given to the most outstanding player in college football. His football number, 34, was officially retired at Auburn in 1992. This means no other Auburn player can wear that number.
"Bo Over the Top" Play
On November 27, 1982, Auburn played their big rival, Alabama, in the Iron Bowl. With little time left, Auburn was behind. On fourth down, Jackson convinced his coach to let him try something special. He jumped "over the top" of the players at the goal line for a one-yard touchdown. This play gave Auburn a 23–22 victory.
College Baseball Highlights
Jackson missed much of his senior baseball season. This happened after a visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team. He was ruled ineligible by the NCAA because the trip was not approved. Jackson believed the Buccaneers tried to hurt his baseball career.
In 1985, a baseball scout said Jackson's only weakness was not having much baseball experience. But the scout also said Jackson could become one of the greatest players ever. He was called "the best pure athlete in America today."
Professional Sports Career
Bo Jackson is famous for playing two professional sports at the same time.
Baseball Career
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Jackson first overall in the 1986 NFL draft. But Jackson refused to play for them because of the college eligibility issue. Instead, he chose to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals. The Royals drafted him in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB draft. He signed a three-year contract worth over $1 million.
Jackson made his major league debut in September 1986. In 1987, he played left field for the Royals. He hit 22 home runs and stole 10 bases.
In 1989, Jackson was voted to start for the American League All-Star team. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game. In his first All-Star plate appearance, he hit a huge 448-foot home run. He also stole second base, becoming only the second player in All-Star Game history to hit a home run and steal a base in the same game.
Jackson had his best baseball year in 1989. He batted .256 with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in (RBI). On July 11, 1990, Jackson made his famous "wall run." He caught a ball near the outfield wall and ran three steps along the wall to avoid hitting it.
The Royals released Jackson in March 1991 because of his hip injury. In March 2024, the Royals announced that Jackson was elected to the Royals Hall of Fame.
Chicago White Sox and California Angels
After being released by the Royals, the Chicago White Sox offered Jackson a three-year deal. He played two seasons with the White Sox, in 1991 and 1993. He missed the 1992 season because he had hip replacement surgery.
While with the White Sox, Jackson promised his mother he would hit a home run for her after his surgery. Sadly, his mother passed away before he returned. In his very first at-bat after surgery, he hit a home run. He got the ball back and planned to bronze it for his mother's dresser.
In 1994, Jackson signed with the California Angels. He played in 75 games, hitting 13 home runs. After the season, Jackson decided to retire from baseball at age 32. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family.
In his eight baseball seasons, Jackson had a career batting average of .250. He hit 141 home runs and had 415 RBI.
Football Career
Jackson was very clear that he did not want to play in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still picked him first in the 1986 NFL draft. Jackson refused to sign with them. He chose to play baseball instead.
However, the Los Angeles Raiders drafted him in the seventh round of the 1987 NFL draft. Raiders owner Al Davis was a big fan of Jackson. Davis allowed Jackson to play both baseball and football. Jackson would play the entire baseball season, then join the Raiders once it was over.
Jackson joined the Raiders in Week 8 of the 1987 season. He shared the backfield with Marcus Allen, another famous player. In Week 12, on Monday Night Football, Jackson had a memorable game against the Seattle Seahawks. Seahawks player Brian Bosworth had insulted Jackson before the game. Jackson responded by running over Bosworth on his way to a touchdown. He also had a 91-yard run that night. Jackson rushed for 221 yards and scored three touchdowns in that game.
In his first season, Jackson rushed for 554 yards on only 81 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He scored six touchdowns. His best NFL season was 1989, when he rushed for 950 yards and four touchdowns. In 1990, he was selected to his only Pro Bowl.
Jackson's NFL career ended due to a hip injury. This happened during a playoff game in January 1991. He suffered a dislocated hip after a tackle.
In his four NFL seasons, Jackson rushed for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He also caught 40 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns.
Hip Injury and Recovery
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. Jackson later said that he tried to put his hip back into place on the field. This action might have damaged the blood vessels that supply blood to his hip.
Doctors found that he had a fracture in his hip bone. He also had a condition called avascular necrosis, which means bone tissue died because it didn't get enough blood. This injury forced him to retire from football. The Royals also released him from his baseball contract.
Jackson returned to play baseball with the White Sox later in 1991. He did not play in 1992 because he had hip replacement surgery. He made an incredible comeback to play baseball again in 1993.
Bo's Popularity and Legacy
Bo Jackson became very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This was because of his incredible athleticism in multiple sports.
"Bo Knows" Campaign
He was part of a famous ad campaign for Nike called "Bo Knows". These ads showed Jackson trying out many different sports. He tried tennis, golf, luge, auto racing, and even playing blues music with musician Bo Diddley. The ads were for Nike's cross-training shoes, which were new at the time.
Video Game Fame
Jackson's digital character in the 1991 video game Tecmo Super Bowl became legendary. Fans nicknamed him "Tecmo Bo" because he was almost impossible to tackle in the game. Players would often run him all the way back to his own one-yard line, then run 99 yards for a touchdown. Defenders would just bounce off him.
Jackson has also appeared in other video games. He had his own Game Boy game called Bo Jackson's Hit and Run. He also appeared in Bo Jackson Baseball for the NES.
Life After Sports
In 1995, Jackson completed his college degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn. He did this to keep a promise he made to his mother.
Through the 1990s, Jackson acted in some TV shows. He appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Married... with Children. He also had small roles in movies.
In 2007, Jackson became a part-owner and CEO of the Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex in Illinois. This is a large indoor facility for many sports. He also has investments in a food company.
On May 9, 2009, Jackson gave the commencement speech at Auburn University's graduation. He talked about the benefits of trying new things. In January 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. Linda is a rehabilitation counselor. They met at Auburn University. They have three children: Garrett, Nicholas, and Morgan. The Jackson family lives in Burr Ridge, Illinois.
In a 2017 interview, Jackson said he would not have played football if he had known about the health risks. He mentioned concerns about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He said he would never let his own children play football today because of how violent the game has become.
Jackson often refers to himself in the third person. He has done this since he was a child because he had a severe stutter. It was hard for him to say "I."
Charity Work
Bo Jackson started a fundraiser called "Bo Bikes Bama" to help his home state of Alabama. This event began after a series of tornadoes hit Alabama on April 27, 2011. The tornadoes caused a lot of damage and loss of life.
The "Bo Bikes Bama" event started as a five-day bike tour where Jackson visited towns destroyed by the tornadoes. Celebrities like Scottie Pippen and Ken Griffey Jr. joined him. The event is now an annual single-day bike ride. The "Bo Bikes Bama" campaign has raised over $1.1 million for the Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund. The 2025 event will be the final one.
In 2022, Jackson donated $170,000 to help pay for funeral costs for the families of victims. This was after the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Images for kids
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Jackson in 2011
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A replica of Jackson's 1989 Kansas City Royals road uniform
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Jackson signed autographs for American soldiers in September 2007.
