Bo Jackson

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professional baseball and football player.

He is the only professional athlete in history to be named an All-Star in two major North American sports.

Jackson's elite achievements in multiple sports have given him a reputation as arguably the greatest athlete of all time.

Jackson, the eighth of ten children, was born on November 30, 1962, and raised in Bessemer, Alabama.

He was named after Vince Edwards, his mother's favorite actor.

His family described him as a "wild boar hog," as he would constantly get into trouble.

He attended McAdory High School in McCalla, where he rushed for 1,175 yards as a running back as a high school senior.

Jackson hit 20 home runs in 25 games for McCalla's baseball team during his senior season.

He was a two-time state champion in the decathlon.

Both times that he was the decathlon state champion, he built up such a commanding points lead before the 1500 meters that he never competed in that event.

"Distance is the only thing I hate about track," he said.

The others are 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan's number 7, and the number 88 of Sullivan's teammate and favorite receiver, Terry Beasley.

In 1982, Jackson set state school records for indoor high jump (6ft 9in) and triple jump (48ft 8in).

In June 1982, Jackson was selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft, but he instead chose to attend Auburn University on a football scholarship because he promised his mother he would be the first in the family to go to a major college.

He was recruited by head coach Pat Dye and then Auburn assistant coach Bobby Wallace alongside defensive head coach Dominic Sauer.

At Auburn, he proved to be a tremendous athlete in both baseball and football.

He shared the backfield with quarterback Randy Campbell, Lionel "Little Train" James and Tommie Agee.

During his time playing for the Auburn Tigers football team, he ran for 4,303 career yards, which was the fourth best performance in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history.

Jackson finished his career with an average of 6.6 yards per carry, which set the SEC record (minimum 400 rushes).

In 1982, Jackson's freshman year, Auburn played Boston College in the Tangerine Bowl, where Jackson made a one-handed grab on an option pitch.

Auburn went on to win the game 33–26 as Jackson rushed 14 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

In 1983, as a sophomore, Jackson rushed for 1,213 yards on 158 carries, for an average of 7.7 yards per carry, which was the second-best single-season average in SEC history (minimum 100 rushes).

In the 1983 Auburn-Alabama game, Jackson rushed for 256 yards on 20 rushes (12.8 yards per carry), which at the time was the sixth-most rushing yards gained in a game in SEC history and the second best yard-per-rush average in a game (minimum 20 attempts) in SEC history.

Auburn finished the season by winning the Sugar Bowl against Michigan, where Jackson was named Most Valuable Player.

In 1984, Jackson's junior year (most of which Jackson missed due to injury), he earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Liberty Bowl after defeating Arkansas.

Jackson played college baseball as an outfielder and college football as a running back for the Auburn Tigers, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.

He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Raiders and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels.

In 1985, Jackson rushed for 1,786 yards, which was the second-best single-season performance in SEC history.

For his performance in 1985, Jackson was awarded the Heisman Trophy in what was considered the closest margin of victory ever in the history of the award, winning over University of Iowa quarterback Chuck Long.

In 1986, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.

Jackson finished his career at Auburn with 4,575 all-purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns, 43 rushing and two receiving, with a 6.6 yards per carry average.

In 1989 and 1990, Jackson's name became known beyond just sports through the "Bo Knows" advertising campaign, a series of advertisements by Nike, starring Jackson alongside musician Bo Diddley, promoting a cross-training athletic shoe named for Jackson.

A 1991 hip injury on the field ended his football career, and his baseball career ended in 1994.

Jackson expanded into other pursuits, including the completion of his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn.

Jackson still holds the NFL record for most runs for 90+ yards from scrimmage with two.

In addition, Jackson appeared in small roles as an actor in television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Married... with Children, as well as films such as The Chamber.

Jackson's football number 34 was officially retired at Auburn in a halftime ceremony on October 31, 1992.

His is one of only three numbers retired at Auburn.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 2007, Jackson was ranked #8 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.