What’s in it for me? Dive into the life of one of the most celebrated athletes in American history.
It’s December 1991.
You just got the newly released Tecmo Super Bowl game on your Nintendo home console, and one of the players looks suspiciously familiar.
Staring back at you is a pixelated Bo Jackson in a black uniform, playing for the Los Angeles Raiders.
He’s the fastest player in the game.
And with him on the field, you're sure to destroy your opponent.
But if you think the pixelated Bo Jackson is awesome, wait until you learn that he is just as superhuman in real life.
In this Blink to The Last Folk Hero, by Jeff Pearlman, you’ll get an inside view on the life of this two-sport wonder – and learn what made him a superstar.
Bo Jackson’s childhood was rough, and sports became his coping mechanism.
Maybe you think that famous athletes’ early lives are filled with camps and coaches who help them hone their skills and get ready for the world of professional sports.
That might be true for some – but not for Bo Jackson.
Bo Jackson, born Vincent Edward Jackson, grew up in a three-room home in Bessemer, Alabama, with no bathrooms and nine siblings.
His dad, A.
D.
Adams, was married to another woman and seldom around, while his mom, Florence Jackson, was a solo parent working long hours to make ends meet.
Childhood was never smooth sailing for Bo.
Decked out in hand-me-downs and soiled clothes, he and his siblings typically scavenged for wild animals just so they had something on their plates.
They shared beds and earned a few extra cents by selling plastic bags to the neighborhood bootlegger.
Living with next to nothing and a mom who whipped her kids with an extension cord, Bo grew up to be a troublemaker.
He made a pastime out of bullying his classmates, stealing bikes, and throwing rocks at people.
But things started to change one summer day in 1973.
Bo, at the age of ten, found a better avenue for his time: sports.
That summer, he joined the Bessemer Little League coached by his mom’s cousin-in-law.
Right off the bat, people saw how natural of a player he was.
Days of sprinting through the woods and flinging around rocks had obviously paid off for Bo.
And before he knew it, he was playing for the Raimund Pirates in the Pony League – and then for the local industrial league's Ben All-Stars.
He was nowhere near an elite athlete yet.
But little did everyone know that they were witnessing a sports superstar in the making.
When you discover what you want to do in life, you start giving it your all.
That was exactly what Bo Jackson did.
Bo Jackson was an elite three-sport athlete in high school.
Not only did he continue playing on the diamond, but he also decided to try two more sports in high school: football and track.
When he got to ninth grade at McAdory High School, he decided to give football a shot – and ended up on the roster of the junior varsity team.
There, he showcased his unbelievable physical strength and speed.
Unfortunately, he didn’t particularly stand out among the players … until his junior year, when people started recognizing his talents.
He was an integral part of the team's success and a major reason why so many reporters showed up to their games.
By the time his last football season was over, he had gained over 1,000 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.
Bo’s track and field career was just as legendary – and this time, he was an immediate star.
He placed third in the long jump event of the 1979 Class 3A Alabama High School Athletic Association championships.
And just two weeks later, he snatched the tenth spot in the 3A state decathlon championships.
These rankings might not seem that unimpressive – except that he only trained for these events either a few weeks prior or on the day of the competition itself!
When he left McAdory, he was a back-to-back state decathlon title holder who set state records for three track and field events.
Of course, Bo continued to be a baseball superstar, too.
His hits would send baseballs soaring 500 feet.
And his base-stealing skills were on point, with 90 successful steals out of 91 attempts.
It’s safe to say that Bo’s athletic prowess was not one to be ignored.
That’s why it wasn’t surprising when, in his senior year, he was flooded with college letters and Major League Baseball (MLB) recruitment calls.
He was in such high demand that the New York Yankees even risked drafting him in the second round of the 1982 amateur draft.
However, Bo had other plans in mind.
He wanted to be the first Jackson to attend college, so he turned down the MLB offers to become an athletic scholar at Auburn University.
Bo Jackson’s college life was devoted to his three beloved sports – but mainly to football.
College isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
But when you’re doing what you love, it makes things easier.
Such was Bo Jackson's life at Auburn.
In his debut football game as an Auburn Tigers member, Bo set the field ablaze by rushing for two touchdowns out of ten carries, and a total of 123 yards.
When he ended his rookie season, he boasted overall stats of nine scores and 829 yards – but he wasn’t done impressing people yet.
Just over a month after the football season ended, Bo made a jaw-dropping 6.
18-second 60-yard dash in his first-ever collegiate track meet.
It was the fifth-fastest 60 ever recorded at Auburn.
A few weeks later, he joined the baseball team for an afternoon game against Illinois State, where he showcased his lightning speed.
The remainder of his freshman baseball stint didn’t sparkle the way he would’ve liked – but Bo more than made up for it with his stellar performance in football the following season.
In that explosive 1983 season, the Tigers tackled their way to the third spot in the national rankings.
As the cherry on top, Bo was crowned the Sugar Bowl’s Most Valuable Player after running 130 yards in 22 carries.
He continued joining the indoor and outdoor track events after the football season ended, but he didn't go back to baseball – primarily because he didn’t like the head coach.
When Bo returned for his third football season with the Tigers, they were the preseason favorite.
However, a series of injuries forced him out of the action for most of the season.
Needless to say, the Tigers didn’t make it to the Sugar Bowl that year.
While that was a disappointing football stint, his baseball run was the complete opposite.
He decided to return to the diamond after learning that there was a new head coach for the team.
Leading the Tigers to victory, they ended the season with a 30-22 record.
As word of his baseball prowess spread, he received several calls from Major League Baseball scouts.
The California Angels even decided to draft him in the twentieth round of the 1985 draft.
But because of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) rule that no player can join both a collegiate and a professional game, Bo decided to turn down the Angels and come back for his senior year on the football field.
This proved to be a wise choice – that year, he went on to win the fifty-first Heisman Trophy after racking up a whopping 1,786 yards and several two-touchdown games.
He also flew to Tokyo, Japan, along with fellow seniors from other universities for the Ricoh Japan Bowl.
There, he again won the MVP award.
Following his impressive senior year football stint, Bo went on to play his last baseball season with the Tigers.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to finish the season – thanks to an unapproved visit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers facility.
The visit rendered him ineligible to play because it broke the SEC rule, citing that he was engaging in activity with a professional team.
Bo was devastated, but there wasn’t anything else he could do.
He was officially done with amateur games.
Sometimes, the best things in life come after the worst heartbreaks.
Bo Jackson was an equally iconic player on the professional baseball field.
And in Bo Jackson’s case, that was joining the Kansas City Royals after losing his eligibility to play in amateur games.
Initially, Bo had to choose between the NFL and the MLB.
Playing for the NFL was the more logical choice because he was a Heisman Trophy winner – and NFL paychecks are significantly bigger than MLB’s.
There was one teeny problem, though.
If Bo chose the NFL, he would be playing for the Buccaneers, who made him the number one pick.
The Bucs were the reason he became ineligible to play amateur games in the first place, so playing for them was out of the question.
That was why he decided to sign with the Royals instead.
They offered him a handsome amount.
and assured him he'd be in the Majors before the team capped off the season.
Just a few days later, on June 30, 1986, Bo debuted with the Memphis Chicks – one of the Royals’ minor league affiliates.
He was called to bat in the first inning of the game against the Columbus Astros.
When he hit the ball on his first attempt and got to first base, the crowd went wild.
He spent just two more months with the Chicks before making the jump to the Major Leagues.
As part of the Royals, Bo’s first-ever game was against the Chicago White Sox.
It was disappointing overall – the White Sox left with a 3-0 victory – but Bo's performance on the field was a spectacle nonetheless.
Not only did he receive a standing ovation for hitting a foul ball, but he also impressed everyone with a 3.
6-second sprint from home plate to first base.
Less than two weeks later, Bo faced the Seattle Mariners and made his first Major League home run after hitting the ball 475 feet.
He had a good run with his first professional sports team, but he was far from done.
Bo Jackson proved his athletic prowess by playing both baseball and football.
Picture this: You’re nearly earning millions to play a sport you love.
You’re an icon on the field.
Typically, you’d be ecstatic – what else could you possibly want?
But not Bo Jackson.
He wanted more – and it wasn’t money or fame.
He wanted the football field he missed so much.
So when the Los Angeles Raiders took a chance and made him their seventh-round pick in the 1987 NFL draft, Bo jumped on the opportunity.
However, he made it clear he would be a part-time player, only joining games after the baseball season ended.
This decision alienated him from his Royals teammates, especially when his performance on the diamond dropped after signing with the Raiders.
Despite the criticism, Bo went on to prove to everyone that he could handle both games just fine.
On his twenty-fifth birthday, he went up against the Seattle Seahawks’ Brian “The Boz” Bosworth.
It was a game for the history books.
Spectators watched Bo carry The Boz straight into the end zone in a smashing touchdown.
He also did an unbelievable 91-yard run earlier in the game – but beating The Boz was easily the highlight of the night.
His performances in both baseball and football in the 1989 season were similarly impressive.
In a game with the Minnesota Twins, Bo switched to hitting with his left hand for the first time – and did it with such ease that the ball traveled 450 feet.
Another highlight of his 1989 baseball stint was the 320-foot throw from the outfield corner that took out Harold Reynolds, the fastest player on the Seattle Mariners.
That same year, Nike aired a commercial starring Bo at his first-ever All-Star game.
Meanwhile, on the gridiron, Bo boasted stellar stats.
He achieved his second 90-yard run in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, making him the first NFL player to rack up two such runs.
By the time the football season concluded, he had four touchdowns and 950 yards under his belt.
Bo was finally starting to prove he was versatile enough to play two sports simultaneously.
He couldn’t have predicted what was going to happen next.
A football mishap put both of Bo Jackson’s sports careers on the rocks.
It’s no secret how tough things are on the football field.
You get knocked over – and the next thing you know, you have a torn ligament.
That’s why the Kansas City Royals had never been fond of Bo Jackson’s decision to play for the LA Raiders.
It was just too risky for their star player.
Of course, Bo didn't listen – but things went just fine for his first three seasons in the NFL.
Sure, he suffered a few injuries here and there, but it was nothing worth worrying about.
That changed in a 1991 playoff game with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bo was tackled hard by linebacker Kevin Walker, leaving him with a severe hip injury that was later diagnosed as early avascular necrosis.
The condition would inevitably make his bone collapse and significantly affect his mobility.
This meant that Bo was officially out of the gridiron.
Following the fateful game, the Royals decided to release Bo too.
They believed he couldn't make a comeback considering how bad his injury was.
Despite this claim, the Chicago White Sox made the bold decision to take Bo under their wing.
The team’s senior doctor was optimistic he would recover, and they were willing to gamble just to have a famous ballplayer join their roster.
But things didn't really work out the way they wanted.
Even after getting a hip replacement and doing special training with physical therapy pioneer Mack Newton, Bo was never the same again.
The White Sox had to terminate his contract in late 1993.
Wanting to experience one last baseball season, Bo reached out to the California Angels and signed a one-year deal with them.
Unfortunately, the season was cut short by a player strike.
Luckily, before that happened, Bo had one final swing in a match against his first-ever professional team, the Kansas City Royals.
Then, he finally put his baseball gear down for good.
Bo Jackson spent his retirement building businesses and doing charity work.
Of course, there are certain things in life we wish could last forever.
But if there’s one thing that life teaches us, it’s that endings are inevitable.
That was the case with Bo Jackson’s sports career.
When the 1994 baseball player strike commenced, Bo was already happily fishing back in Bessemer and enjoying his early days of retirement.
He then spent most of his time with his wife, Linda, and their three kids in their suburban Chicago home.
The following year, Bo took a shot at acting and ended up appearing in several TV series and movies, including Married… with Children, The Chamber, Fakin' da Funk, and The Pandora Project.
While he didn't really make it big in the entertainment industry, he still accomplished a lot after leaving behind his pro sports life.
He founded and partnered with a few businesses, like the Bo Jackson Signature Portable Gas Grill, Bo Jackson's Homemade Sweet Potato Pie, Better Bar energy bars, and a food supplier called N'genuity.
He also finished his degree in Family and Child Development to fulfill his years-old promise to his late mother.
While he doesn’t keep tabs on his former teams, he did serve as the Royals’ spring training instructor and the White Sox team ambassador.
He also busies himself with playing golf and holding celebrity golf tournaments, as well as hunting, fishing, and grilling steaks.
But Bo’s most impactful post-sports career achievement is probably the annual charity event Bo Bikes Bama.
It was launched in April 2012 to help victims of the April 2011 tornado disaster in Alabama.
Now in its twelfth year, the event had already raised over $2.
1 million by 2020.
Bo’s time on the professional diamond and gridiron fields may have been short-lived, but his life after sports was nothing short of meaningful.
And he couldn't have asked for anything better.
Final Summary
While Bo Jackson started out as a poor kid in Bessemer, Alabama, his natural talent and passion for sports paved the way for him to become one of the most renowned two-sport athletes in the US.
He went on to accomplish impressive feats during his stint at Auburn University and later in the Major Leagues and NFL.
He won the Heisman Trophy, joined the All-Star and Pro Bowls, hit baseballs 500 feet, ran superhuman speeds, and became one of the most iconic Nike endorsers.
Although he was forced to end his sports career after sustaining a hip injury, he found his higher purpose, establishing himself as a successful businessman and philanthropist.