Bo Jackson Net Worth: Enduring Impact on Sports and Culture

Bo Jackson is a retired professional baseball and American football player who has a net worth of $25 million. Some consider Bo Jackson the greatest athlete in history. He was certainly the best athlete of his generation and was one of the most important celebrity product endorsers in history. Bo and Michael Jordan took Nike to unbelievable heights in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Who is Bo Jackson 

Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson was a remarkable American athlete who excelled in both baseball and football. He holds the unique distinction of being the only professional player to have been named an All-Star in both sports, making him one of the select few to achieve such a feat in two major athletic disciplines. With his exceptional abilities in various sports, Bo Jackson has undeniably secured his position as one of the greatest athletes in history.

Bo Jackson Early Life

Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson was born on November 30, 1962, in Bessemer, Alabama. He is the eighth of ten children in his family. Bo attended McAdory High School. In high school, he broke records as a running back on the football team and also was a member of the baseball team, where he hit 20 home runs in 25. He also broke state track records and won Alabama’s state title for decathlon twice. Though he was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1982, Jackson opted to attend Auburn University on a football scholarship. He said he promised his mother he would be the first in his family to go to college. Jackson also played baseball and ran track and field while at Auburn. Receiving impressive stats in all three sports, he is known for his rare ability to excel in a number of sports.

Bo Jackson Education

During his high school years in McCalla, Bo Jackson’s athletic prowess began to shine. As a running back, he rushed for an impressive 1,175 yards in his senior year. Not only was he exceptional in football, but he also showcased his skills on the baseball field. During the same senior season, he hit twenty home runs in just 25 games for McAdory’s baseball team.

Bo Jackson Baseball Career

Jackson had been on track to play professional football following college. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft using the first overall pick. However, he refused to play for them following an incident where he was forced to miss his senior college baseball season after a visit to the Buccaneers’ team facilities. The Buccaneers had told him the visit was NCAA-approved, but it was actually not, and as a result, he was barred from college sports. He believes that the failure of the Buccaneers to obtain NCAA approval was a deliberate move by them to try to get him to play professional football instead of baseball. As a result, he refused to sign with them and chose to play professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals instead, who had drafted him in the 1986 amateur draft. Jackson signed a three-year, $1.07 million contract with the Royals, and he played 53 games with their Class AA minor league affiliate, the Memphis Chicks. He was called up to the majors in September 1986 and made the Royals’ roster in 1987. After the Royals released him in 1991 due to injury, the Chicago White Sox offered him a three-year contract that guaranteed $700,000 per season, which also had a performance-based upside of $8.15 million. With the White Sox, Jackson played two seasons, in 1991 and 1993; he took the 1992 season off and was on the disabled roster because he had hip replacement surgery that year. He finished his professional athletic career in 1994 with the California Angels, retiring at the age of 32.

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Bo Jackson Devastating Hip Injury

Regrettably, Bo Jackson’s athletic journey abruptly stopped in 1991 when a debilitating hip injury struck him while he was playing for the Raiders. This injury forced him to retire from football, but he continued playing baseball for the Chicago White Sox, who acquired him from the Kansas City Royals that same year. Following the 1994 season, Jackson retired from baseball to focus more on his family.

Bo Jackson Football Career

In the 1987 NFL Draft, Jackson was selected in the seventh round with the 183rd pick by the Los Angeles Raiders. Initially disinterested, and committed to focusing on his baseball career, Bo warmed up to the idea of playing in the NFL after he learned that the Raiders’ owner Al Davis was open to the idea of him playing both sports simultaneously. He negotiated a five-year, $7.4 million contract that allowed him to finish each MLB season in full before reporting to the Raiders, even if it meant he would miss NFL games. Furthermore, Davis offered Jackson the highest salary of any non-quarterback player in NFL history at the time, plus a reported $500,000 signing bonus.

Bo Jackson Awards and Achievements

Numerous accolades and achievements acknowledged his exceptional talent and unwavering dedication. He won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1985 at Auburn University. In 1987, he received the NFL’s Rookie of the Year Award, the Bert Bell Trophy. Jackson’s impressive career also led to appearances in All-Star Games and recognition from People magazine as one of the “25 Most Intriguing People.” Additionally, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

Bo Jackson Nike Deal

Bo’s relationship with Nike was especially notable. The now-famous “Bo Knows” commercial series is considered one of the most influential advertising campaigns of all time. When the commercials first began airing in 1989, Nike was generating around $40 million per year from cross-trainer shoe sales. According to Ad Age, within a year of the campaign’s launch, Nike had swallowed up 80% of the global cross-trainer market and was generating $400 million per year in revenue.

Bo Jackson Business Ventures

Jackson is part of a group of investors who own The Burr Ridge Bank and Trust in Burr Ridge, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. He is also part-owner and CEO of the Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex, an 88,000-square-foot multi-sport facility located in Lockport, Illinois. He established the facility in 2007 with partner John Cangelosi. He has also invested in the food company N’Genuity.

Bo Jackson Personal Life

Jackson’s wife, Linda, is a rehabilitation counselor. Together, the couple has three children: sons Garrett and Nicholas and daughter Morgan. After retiring from sports, Jackson fulfilled the promise he made to his mother that he would get a college education and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Children Development at Auburn University in 1995.

FAQs

What sports did Bo Jackson play professionally?
Bo Jackson played both professional baseball and football. He is the only athlete to be named an All-Star in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL).

Why did Bo Jackson refuse to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Bo refused to play for the Buccaneers because they caused him to lose his eligibility for his senior college baseball season by misleading him about an NCAA compliance issue. He believed this was a deliberate attempt to push him into choosing football over baseball.

What teams did Bo Jackson play for in baseball?
Bo Jackson played for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels in Major League Baseball.

What teams did Bo Jackson play for in football?
Bo Jackson played for the Los Angeles Raiders in the NFL.

Conclusion

Bo Jackson is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete who excelled at the highest levels in both baseball and football. His unparalleled achievements, including winning the Heisman Trophy and becoming an All-Star in two major sports, make him an icon in the sports world. 

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