Athletes - Bo Jackson

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	Athletes - Bo Jackson

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former multi-sport athlete who played professional football in the NFL and Major League Baseball simultaneously, and was the first athlete named an All-Star in both sports.

Jackson was named after Vincent "Bo" Edwards, an actor his mother liked, but received his nickname when his brothers shortened the word "boar" - as in "wild boar."

Early life and career

Born in Bessemer, Alabama, Jackson was originally drafted by the New York Yankees but chose to attend Auburn University on his mother's advice. From 1982 to 1985 Bo proved to be an astounding all-around athlete. Jackson batted .401 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs in 1985, qualified for the 60-yard dash in his freshman and sophomore years, and won the 1985 Heisman Trophy for his abilities as a running back. He was named MVP of both the Sugar Bowl in 1984 (the 1983 season), and the Liberty Bowl in 1984.

Jackson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first pick of the 1986 draft, but he opted to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals instead, spending most of the season in the minor leagues before being called up for regular duty in 1987, when he had 22 home runs, 53 RBIs and 10 stolen bases as an outfielder for the Royals. He began to show his true potential in 1989, when he was selected to the American League All-Star team, and was named the game's MVP for his play on both offense and defense. This play included a monstrous home run off Rick Reuschel of the San Francisco Giants which landed an estimated 448 feet from home plate. Legendary baseball announcer Vin Scully was moved to comment, "And look at that one! Bo Jackson says hello!" Jackson finished the season by being 4th in the AL in both HRs (32) and RBI (105). In 1990 he raised his batting average as well, but the increasing questions about his football career contributed to a decline in his overall totals.

Following the 1987 baseball season, Jackson decided to again play football (just as a "hobby", he said) and joined the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders, rushing for 554 yards in 81 carries in just seven games. Over the next three seasons, Bo Jackson would rush for 2,228 more yards with 12 touchdowns.

Athletic feats

In both baseball and football, Jackson's feats became the stuff of folklore and legend. In the 1982 Tangerine Bowl against Boston College, Jackson made a one-handed grab of an option pitch that quarterback Randy Campbell lobbed over the head of a defender. Jackson proceeded to score on the play, despite being hit by several defenders along the sideline.

In a 1985 baseball game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Foley Field in Athens, Jackson led Auburn to victory with a 4-for-5 performance, with three home runs and a double. Jackson launched his last home run that day into a brand new light standard.

While playing for the Royals, he ran down a long line-drive deep to left-center field on a hit-and-run play against the Seattle Mariners. With speedy Harold Reynolds running from first base on the play, the hit would have been deep enough to score him against most outfielders. But Jackson, from the warning track, turned and fired a strike to catcher Bob Boone, who tagged the sliding Reynolds out. Jackson's throw reached Boone on the fly. Interviewed for the "Bo Jackson" episode of ESPN Classic's SportsCentury, Reynolds admitted that he thought there was no way anyone would throw him out on such a deep drive into the gap in left-center, and was shocked to see his teammate telling him to slide as he rounded third base.

Also, football fans vividly remember his scintillating 221-yard rushing performance on Monday Night Football in 1987 against the Seattle Seahawks. During this memorable performance he literally ran over Seahawks star linebacker Brian Bosworth, who had insulted Jackson and promised to contain him in a media event before the game.

Jackson became a popular figure for his athleticism in multiple sports through the late 1980s and early 1990s. He endorsed Nike and launched a popular ad campaign called "Bo Knows" which envisioned Jackson attempting to take up a litany of other sports, including tennis, golf, luge, auto racing, and even blues music with Bo Diddley. Following on the heels of this widespread fame, Jackson appeared in ProStars, an NBC Saturday morning cartoon. The show featured Bo, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan fighting crime and helping children.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Bo Jackson ]

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Athletes - Bo Jackson

Early life and career

Athletic feats

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