Bo Jackson Net Worth: The Dual-Sport Legend Who Redefined Athleticism

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

Bo Jackson is era of unparalleled athleticism and versatility. As a dual-sport athlete, he made history by excelling in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL). His journey from a young boy in Bessemer, Alabama, to a cultural icon is nothing short of extraordinary. 

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

Jackson attended Auburn University, where he played football and baseball. He won the 1985 Heisman Trophy as the country’s best college football player.

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.

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Bo Jackson NFL 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.

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 Other Ventures

Jackson has been featured in a number of video games, including the game “Tecmo Bowl” for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), “Bo Jackson’s Hit and Run” for the original Game Boy, “Bo Jackson Baseball” for NES and IBM-compatible computers, “ESPN NFL Football,” “NFL Street 2,” “Madden 15,” and “Madden 16.” Bo has also made a number of appearances on television. He was a character in the NBC Saturday morning cartoon show “ProStars” and played the character of Calvin Farquhar on the series “Married…with Children,” and he guest-starred on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Diagnosis Murder,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

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 is Bo Jackson’s greatest achievement?
Bo Jackson is often regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, excelling in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL). His ability to succeed in two professional sports simultaneously, combined with his cultural impact through Nike’s “Bo Knows” campaign, stands as his greatest achievement.

Why did Bo Jackson refuse to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Bo Jackson refused to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an incident where the team misled him about an NCAA-approved visit to their facilities, which resulted in him being barred from playing his senior baseball season at Auburn. Believing the Buccaneers deliberately tried to derail his baseball career, Jackson chose to pursue baseball with the Kansas City Royals instead.

How did Bo Jackson manage to play both baseball and football?
Jackson was able to play both baseball and football due to a unique agreement with the Los Angeles Raiders’ owner, Al Davis. The contract allowed Jackson to finish his MLB season before joining the Raiders, even if that meant missing some NFL games. This flexibility and Davis’ willingness to support his dual-sport career made this possible.

What is the “Bo Knows” campaign?
The “Bo Knows” campaign was a revolutionary advertising series by Nike, launched in 1989, that featured Bo Jackson’s multi-sport prowess. The campaign helped Nike dominate the cross-trainer shoe market and catapulted Jackson to global fame, solidifying his status as a cultural icon.

Conclusion

Bo Jackson’s legacy as one of the greatest athletes in history is undeniable. His incredible achievements in both baseball and football, coupled with his cultural impact through Nike’s “Bo Knows” campaign, have cemented his place in the annals of sports history. Beyond his athletic prowess, Bo Jackson’s story is one of perseverance, adaptability, and breaking boundaries, making him an icon for generations to come. 

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