There has been an ongoing debate on whether some of the best athletes of this generation will be able to accomplish similar success if they go on to play another sport. All high-level athletes show a tremendous amount of willpower to reach the top of their game, and fans often wonder whether they could do the same in another.
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While these discussions are endless, as there’s no logical way to conclude them, Bo Jackson was someone who played multiple sports and was successful. NBA veteran Isiah Thomas posted a clip on his Instagram story, supporting the argument that Jackson could’ve been a Hall of Famer in both MLB and NFL.
Jackson started his baseball career in 1986 with the Kansas City Royals. But he also loved playing football early in his life and, as an ambitious man, he didn’t want to let go of his dream, despite already being a professional player. In 1987, he made his NFL debut for the Los Angeles Raiders.
Isiah Thomas wants Bo Jackson to be a Hall of Famer for both MLS and the NFL pic.twitter.com/Xawv7qq5yO
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) August 17, 2024
Jackson has one of the most impressive resumes of any athlete, which is why Isiah Thomas believes that he could have been a two-time Hall of Famer in different sports. He shared a post by Greatest Show on Dirt on Instagram which highlighted some of Jackson’s best moments in MLB and NFL.
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Jackson’s four-year stint in the NFL and nine-year career in the MLB were special for the fans to witness. He is the only professional athlete to have made an All-Star appearance in two major sporting leagues.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes ever because of his impressive resume, is Jackson Hall of Fame worthy in two sports?
Jackson isn’t eligible to be a Hall of Famer in the MLB
Jackson played 694 games and scored 341 runs with a batting average of .250. If we take the fact that he was a multi-sport athlete into consideration, this number seems impressive. However, the average batting average for Hall of Fame batters is .303, which is more than what Jackson accomplished in his career.
The reason why he can’t even be considered for the MLB Hall of Fame is because the minimum career span for HoF is 10 years, and Jackson only played for nine years. He has a better chance of getting into the NFL Hall of Fame because, despite having a short-lived career, he managed to pull off impressive numbers and there are no such criteria there.
In 38 total games, he had 2,782 rushing yards on 515 attempts. If the numbers are adjusted to the average career span of a running back, Jackson stands a chance to get into the NFL HoF. If it wasn’t for his career-ending hip injury in 1991, he could’ve had a much better career in the NFL and would’ve been a stronger contender to receive the Hall of Fame honor.
