Background

Bo Jackson was born on November 30, 1962, in Bessemer, Alabama, United States. He was born Vincent Edward Jackson, the eighth child of Florence Jackson Bond's ten children. His mother was barely able to support her family with her job as a housekeeper since Jackson's father, A.D. Adams, never wed Florence and in fact had a family of his own on the opposite side of town.

Education

The name Vincent quickly disappeared as Jackson entered adolescence and gained a reputation as a troublemaker. He seemed unable to stay out of trouble, breaking windows, stealing bicycles, and beating up the other kids in the neighborhood. His brothers started calling him a "wild boar," because it was the only animal they felt he compared to. They soon shortened the nickname to "Bo."

Jackson's life as a hoodlum was short-lived, however, when at thirteen he was caught throwing rocks at the Baptist minister's hogs. The boys had killed several of the pigs and the minister made them pay back the loss. Jackson had to take on odd jobs in order to earn his portion of the three thousand dollar loss. His mother, at her wit's end and unsure of what to do, was encouraged by the preacher to send Jackson to reform school. Jackson realized that he needed to change his ways or be sent away. He decided to focus his attention on sports.

Athletics proved to be what Jackson needed to stay out of trouble. He proved a natural talent at baseball, but he also had an incredible work ethic that allowed him to surpass his peers. At thirteen years old, he had already moved up to the Industrial League in Bessemer, where he played against grown men.

Prior to entering high school, the neighboring community's track coach, Dick Atchinson, asked Jackson to join their team. Atchinson would become Jackson's mentor at McArdory High School, serving as his coach in both track and football, and later becoming his guidance counselor.

At the end of high school, the New York Yankees selected Jackson in the second round of the draft, but Jackson declined. His mother encouraged him to get a college degree, so in 1982 he entered Auburn University, where he went on to letter in baseball, football and track. He was the first athlete ever to do so.

After his junior year in school, Jackson was ranked at the top of the list of eligible draftees for the Major League draft. Instead of entering, however, he chose instead to complete his final year of school.

In 1995, in order to fulfill the promise he made to his mother, Jackson completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn.

Career

Jackson's outstanding athletic ability manifested itself early in life. At McAdory High School in McCalla, Alabama, he excelled in athletics (track and field), baseball, and football, winning two state decathlon titles, throwing multiple no-hitters for the baseball team, and playing nearly every snap on offense and defense for the football team, in addition to handling all kicking duties. He was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school, but he instead decided to attend Auburn University. Jackson lettered in all three sports at Auburn, but he made his biggest impact on the football field, where he was twice named a consensus All-American running back (1983 and 1985) and won the 1985 Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Despite stating publicly that he did not want to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jackson was selected by the franchise with the first overall pick of the 1986 NFL draft. True to his word, he spurned the Bucs and signed with the Royals after that team selected him in the fourth round of the 1986 major-league draft. Jackson played in just 53 games in the minor leagues before making his debut with the Royals in 1986. Eligible again for the NFL draft in 1987, he was selected in the seventh round by the Raiders, whose owner, Al Davis, agreed to pay Jackson a full-time salary while allowing him to miss early-season games to complete his yearly baseball obligations.

Jackson's play suffered in the second half of the season. He was benched for extensive periods because he was striking out at a prodigious rate - 27 strikeouts in 64 at-bats between July 16 and August 7. After hitting .254 with 18 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 115 strikeouts before the All-Star break, Jackson played in only 35 games in the second half, with four home runs, eight RBIs and another 43 strikeouts. He would have struck out 221 times if he had played in all 162 games.

After playing seven games with Los Angeles and scoring four touchdowns, Jackson returned to the Royals for 1988, but not before working with Auburn coach Baird again in the off-season.

On June 1 he tore a hamstring muscle running out a groundball. He missed 28 games, and his batting average began falling on his return. By season's end it was down to .246. He hit 25 home runs, one behind team leader Danny Tartabull, and had 68 RBIs.

In 1989 Jackson was named to the American League All-Star team during a season in which he established career highs with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in. The following year he rushed for 698 yards and five touchdowns over 10 games to earn Pro Bowl honours, thus becoming the first athlete to make all-star teams in two major North American sports. In January 1991 Jackson injured his hip during a Raiders play-off game, and the resulting deterioration of the joint led to his never playing in the NFL again. He was subsequently released by the Royals and played three partial seasons for the Chicago White Sox (1991, 1993) and the California Angels (1994) with mixed results before retiring in 1995. Although his hip injury prevented him from fully realizing his athletic potential on the professional level, Jackson was nevertheless a cultural sensation who made a significant impact on the history of American sports.

After retiring from sports, Jackson began working in numerous business and charitable activities. As of 2016, he ran a training complex for athletes in Lockport, Illinois. He has many business ventures, all of which are centered in Alabama. He organizes his many businesses under N'Genuity. He has Bo Jackson Enterprises, based in Mobile, and this business is the coordinating hub of many of the other businesses he operates, from nutritional food products to suppliers of manpower nationwide.

Achievements

• Bo Jackson is one of the most heralded athletes in the history of American sport. Jackson was a successful collegiate sprinter at Auburn University, prior to embarking upon two successful sporting careers, the first as a highly regarded outfielder and slugger in major league baseball, the second as a devastating running back in the National Football League (NFL).
  
  Bo won numerous awards and accomplishments. His highest honor was in 1985 when he won the Heisman - the award was given to the considered best player of that year. He made the Pro Bowl in 1990. He was the 1986 Cotton Bowl MVP. Jackson was a two-time All-American. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also an MLB all-star in 1989. Bo was named the best athlete of all-time by ESPN.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Bo Knows Bo 1990

Views

Jackson participated in Bo Bikes Bama, a five-day, 300-mile gran fondo in support of victims of the tornado outbreak in Alabama. During the tour, Jackson visited towns that had been demolished by the series of tornadoes. Bo was accompanied on this tour by celebrities such as Scottie Pippen and Ken Griffey Jr. Today, the campaign has raised over $1.1 million for the Alabama Governor's Emergency Relief Fund.

Quotations: "Don't run too fast through life. You only have one."

"It occurred to me in my junior year of high school. I got my first letter from a big college. I still have that letter to this day - a letter from Indiana."

"I hate to blow my own horn, but I gave a lot of people fits."

"I am a firm believer in if you can't get it the old fashioned way, you don't need it."

"Back before I injured my hip, I thought going to the gym was for wimps."

"Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there."

"Being the 8th out of 10 kids, and being the one that stayed in trouble, I sort of became a momma's boy."

"Don't sell yourself short because without that you can't go far in life because after sports the only thing you know is sports and you can't do anything else with that."

Personality

Bo Jackson was named after Vince Edwards, his mother's favorite actor.

Jackson frequently refers to himself in the third person, a habit he has had since his childhood due to his severe stutter.

In 2007, Nike released a set of Nike Dunk shoes honoring Bo Jackson. The set featured three colorways based on previously released Nike shoes: the "Bo Knows" Trainer I, Trainer 91 and Medicine Ball Trainer III.

Physical Characteristics: During his career, Jackson had a remarkable physique that was well suited to both baseball and football. At 6 ft 1 in tall (1.8 m) and 230 lb (110 kg), Jackson possessed both brute strength and remarkable speed and balance.

As remarkable as any of the many highlights of Jackson's professional sports career is the injury that he sustained in 1991 while playing football with the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. Jackson sustained damage to his hip when he was tackled hard by an opposing player. The injury subsequently resulted in a condition known as avascular necrosis (AVN). As a result of AVN, Jackson was required to undergo an arthroplasty of the hip, otherwise known as a hip replacement. Jackson spent the entire 1992 year engaged in various forms of physical rehabilitation.

Interests

• Sport & Clubs

  golf, decathlon, track and field

Connections

Jackson married his college sweetheart Linda Garrett in 1987. Linda is a rehabilitation counselor. Together they have two sons, Garrett and Nicholas, and a daughter, Morgan.

Father:

A.D. Adams

Mother:

Florence Jackson Bond

Spouse:

Linda Jackson

Son:

Garrett Jackson

(born July 13, 1986)

Son:

Nicholas Jackson

(born November 1988)

Daughter:

Morgan Jackson

References

• Bo Jackson The book traces the professional baseball and football athlete's remarkable career from his beginnings in Bessemer, Alabama, through his three-letter high school days, to Auburn University and his professional career.
  1991
• Bo Jackson: Playing the Games The book traces the baseball and football player's career from his boyhood in Alabama, through his years as a schoolboy and college star, and his decision to try a career in both sports, to his present remarkable position.
  1990