Bo Jackson stands alone in the annals of professional sports as the only athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports. His career, spanning both Major League Baseball and the National Football League, was marked by extraordinary talent, memorable performances, and a unique approach to balancing the demands of two high-level professions. From his collegiate days at Auburn, where he excelled in football, baseball, and track and field,
to his professional contracts that allowed him to pursue both passions, Jackson carved out a legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Navigating the NFL Draft and Choosing Baseball
Jackson's path to professional sports was not without its complexities, particularly concerning the NFL draft. Despite his collegiate success, a controversial incident involving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers significantly shaped his early career decisions. A month before the 1986 NFL draft, Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse arranged for Jackson to visit the team and undergo a physical. Jackson was informed that this trip had been cleared by the NCAA and SEC, but this was not the case. The SEC had a rule prohibiting athletes from being professional in one sport while remaining an amateur in another, leading to Jackson being declared ineligible near the end of his senior baseball season.
Jackson later expressed his belief that the Buccaneers had intentionally sabotaged his collegiate baseball career due to his performance. This incident fueled his anger, and he vowed never to play for the Buccaneers, even telling Culverhouse that drafting him would be a waste of a pick. Despite this, the Buccaneers selected Jackson as the first overall pick in the 1986 draft. True to his word, Jackson turned down their $7.6 million, five-year contract offer, opting instead for a $1.07 million, three-year contract with the Kansas City Royals to play baseball. The Buccaneers subsequently forfeited his rights before the 1987 NFL draft.
The Raiders and the Dual-Sport Agreement
Even after committing to baseball, the NFL still beckoned. Jackson initially intended to focus solely on baseball, but his interest was reignited when he learned that Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis was a fan and was open to him playing both sports. This led to a groundbreaking agreement: a five-year, $7.4 million contract that allowed Jackson to play the entire baseball season with the Royals before reporting to the Raiders once the MLB season concluded, even if it meant missing NFL games. This contract also made Jackson the highest-paid non-quarterback player in NFL history at the time, including a reported $500,000 signing bonus and an additional $500,000 if he returned the following year.
Jackson joined the Raiders for their Week 8 matchup in his rookie season, rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. He shared the backfield with Marcus Allen, another All-Pro and Heisman Trophy winner, but eventually became the featured running back. His most memorable performance that rookie season came against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. After Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth publicly insulted Jackson, Jackson famously ran over Bosworth on his way to a touchdown. He also broke a 91-yard run, untouched down the sideline, that night. Jackson finished the game with 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns, adding a third with a reception, setting a single-game record for the Raiders at the time.
Baseball Highlights and the Career-Ending Injury
Jackson's baseball career was equally impressive, marked by power hitting and speed. In his eight seasons, he maintained a career batting average of .250, hit 141 home runs, and recorded 415 RBI, with a slugging percentage of .474. His best year was 1989, earning him All-Star status. That year, he ranked fourth in the American League in both home runs (32) and RBI (105). During the 1990 season, Jackson tied a Major League record by hitting home runs in four consecutive at-bats. He also performed his famous "wall run" against the Orioles in 1990, catching a ball six strides from the wall and running three steps along it to avoid injury.
His 1989 All-Star Game performance was particularly iconic. He was voted to start for the American League team and was named MVP. In the first inning, he made a crucial defensive play, catching a line drive to save two runs. He then led off the bottom of the first with a monstrous 448-foot home run, followed by Wade Boggs' home run, marking the first time in All-Star history that two players led off the first inning with back-to-back home runs. 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. Despite his success, Jackson's NFL career was cut short by a hip injury sustained during a playoff game against the Bengals on January 13, 1991, from a seemingly routine tackle. This injury ultimately led to avascular necrosis and hip replacement surgery, ending his football career and significantly impacting his baseball career.
Post-Injury Resilience and Retirement
After his career-ending NFL injury, the Kansas City Royals released Jackson in March 1991, unwilling to pay his $2.375 million salary to rehabilitate. However, just 16 days later, the Chicago White Sox offered him a three-year deal, guaranteeing $700,000 per season with performance-based incentives. White Sox co-owner Jerry Reinsdorf acknowledged that they did not expect him to play all seasons while he addressed his hip issues. Jackson underwent hip replacement surgery in 1992, becoming the first athlete in professional sports history to compete with an artificial hip. He played two seasons with the White Sox, appearing in 23 games in 1991 and 85 games in 1993.
A poignant moment occurred when Jackson, having promised his mother he would hit a home run for her upon his return from surgery, fulfilled that promise in his first at-bat after her passing. He recovered the ball by trading an autographed bat for it, intending to bronze it and place it on her dresser. In 1994, Jackson signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the California Angels, playing in 75 games, batting .279 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI before the season was cut short by a strike. He retired at age 32, stating, "I got to know my family. That looks better to me than any $10 million contract." In 2024, Jackson was elected to the Royals Hall of Fame, a testament to his enduring impact on the sport.
