Former Los Angeles Raiders RB Bo Jackson stands as one of the most exceptional athletes in the history of sports. His name undoubtedly comes to mind when discussing players who excelled in playing two sports simultaneously at the highest level and emerged as standouts in both. In the late ’80s, Jackson played in the NFL for the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Royals in MLB.
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Jackson has been a star right from the time he attended McAdory High School in McCalla. He excelled in three sports – football, baseball, and track and field – and not only attracted the attention of certain college programs, but the New York Yankees themselves wanted to draft him right out of high school. However, he rejected the offer, as he had promised his mother that he would complete his higher education first before playing in the big leagues.
Out of the many scholarship offers he received, he accepted to play football for Auburn University instead. In his four years playing for the Auburn Tigers as a running back, he ran for 4,303 yards and scored 43 touchdowns in four years.
Even after 38 years, Bo remains the only running back to surpass 4000+ career years in Auburn’s history. In his final year, he gained 1,786 rushing yards, which helped him win the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player in 1985.
The former running back’s dream was to play in the MLB, and he considered football to be his hobby. He balanced both sports in college but only played 90 baseball games. Bo faced setbacks due to injury in his senior year, but still managed to impress scouts with his all-round skills. In 1985, the baseball team, the California Angels, drafted him, but he declined the offer and went on to complete his fourth year with the Auburn Tigers.
Bo Jackson’s Unprecedented Dual-Sport Career
After graduating from college, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him as the first overall pick in the 1986 NFL draft. However, he once again rejected the four-year $7 million offer from the Bucs and decided to play in the MLB. He joined the Kansas City Royals, who offered him a three-year contract worth $1 million deal. He settled for a much lower price but was more than happy to play the game he loved the most.
A year passed, and he was once again approached by an NFL team, the Las Angeles Raiders (now the Las Vegas Raiders). They asked him to join them once his baseball season gets over in the fall. Jackson only accepted the NFL contract, as he was given the chance to play both football and baseball.
In his very first season with the Las Vegas Raiders, the running back was the runner-up for the Offensive Player of the Year Award. In his fourth season with the Raiders, he took his team to the playoffs with a 12-4 record in the 1990 regular season. However, it also became his last season of playing in the NFL as he suffered a hip injury during the Divisional Playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl for his performance in his last season.
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Meanwhile, Jackson continued playing baseball and joined the Chicago White Sox in 1991. He played for them for two seasons before finally signing a deal with the California Angels in 1994. In the same year, the longest baseball strike took place, and it was then that Bo decided to retire from sports and focus more on family and personal life.
Bo Jackson was the first professional athlete to be named an All-Star in two different sports. In his entire NFL career, he started in 23 of 38 games and rushed for 2782 yards in 515 attempts while scoring 92 touchdowns. He played in 694 games in his eight-year MLB career, where he hit 141 home runs and 415 RBI while posting a .250 average.
The 61-year-old NFL and MLB star is enjoying the quiet life now. He is still associated with the sports world, often taking part in bicycle races. It’s not a secret how uncommon it is for an athlete to turn pro and thrive among the elites. Well, Jackson did it in two distinct sports genres. However, it’s only up to the audience to decide if the former NFL and MLB star is the best athlete of all time.
