Bo Jackson Vincent Edward " Bo " Jackson ( born November 30 , 1962 ) is a retired American baseball and football player . He is the only athlete to be named an All - Star in two major American sports . He was named the greatest athlete of all time by ESPN . While at Auburn University , Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy , annually awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the United States . In 1989 and 1990 , Jackson ' s name became known beyond just sports fans through the " Bo Knows " advertising campaign , a series of advertisements by Nike , that starred Jackson alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Bo Diddley , promoting a cross - training athletic shoe named for Jackson . After a 1991 hip injury on the field ended his football career , he focused on baseball , and expanded into other pursuits , including the completion of his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn , and appearing in small parts as an actor , in TV shows such as " Married . . . with Children " , and films such as " The Chamber " . Early life . Jackson , the eighth of ten children , was born and raised in Bessemer , Alabama , and 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 . The nickname was eventually shortened to " Bo . " Jackson attended McAdory High School in McCalla , where he rushed for 1175 yards as a running back as a high school senior . Jackson hit twenty home runs in twenty - five games for McAdory ' s baseball team during his senior season . He was a two - time state champion in the decathlon . In 1982 , Bo set state school records for indoor high - jump ( 6 ' 9 " ) and triple - jump ( 48 ' 8 " ) . College ( 1982 – 1985 ) . 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 . He was recruited by head coach Pat Dye and then Auburn assistant coach Bobby Wallace . 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 . College baseball . Jackson batted . 401 with 17 home run s and 43 RBIs in 1985 . In a 1985 baseball game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Foley Field in Athens , Georgia , Jackson led Auburn to victory with a 4 - for - 5 performance , with three home runs and a double . Jackson missed the 1984 season after separating his hip during football season . College football . During his time playing for the Auburn Tigers football team , he ran for 4 , 303 career yards , which was the fourth best performance in SEC history . Jackson finished his career with an average of 6 . 6 yards ( 6 . 0 m ) 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 2 TDs . In 1983 , as a sophomore , Jackson rushed for 1 , 213 yards ( 1 , 109 m ) on 158 carries , for an average of 7 yards per carry , which was the 2nd 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 2nd best yard - per - rush average in a game ( minimum 20 attempts ) in SEC history . Auburn finished the season by winning the Sugar Bowl , 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 . In 1985 , Jackson rushed for 1 , 786 yards which was the second best single - season performance in SEC history . That year , he averaged 6 . 4 yards per rush , which at the time was the best single - season average 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 . Jackson finished his career at Auburn with 4 , 575 all - purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns , 43 rushing and 2 receiving , with a 6 . 6 yards per carry average . 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 . 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 2007 , Jackson was ranked # 8 on ESPN ' s Top 25 Players In College Football History list . Historic moments . On November 27 , 1982 , Bo Jackson and the Auburn Tigers found themselves embattled with their heated in - state rival , Alabama ( 7 - 3 ) , in the Iron Bowl in Birmingham , Ala . Auburn held a 14 - 13 halftime lead when Alabama ' s RB Paul Ott Carruth scored on an 8 - yard TD run — and then the Crimson Tide added a field goal to make it a 22 - 14 Alabama lead going into the 4th quarter . Auburn responded as Al Del Greco made a 23 - yard FG to make it a 22 - 17 score in the 4th quarter . From Auburn ' s own 34 - yard line , Bo Jackson and company began a long drive as he converted on a 4th - and - 1 at the Alabama 42 . Jackson , who ran 17 times for 114 yards during this Iron Bowl , continued marching his team downfield as he caught an 8 - yard pass from QB Randy Campbell down to the Alabama 1 - yard line . On fourth down with 2 : 26 left in the game , Jackson completed the drive by going over the top for a 1 - yard TD run as Auburn ( finished 9 - 3 in ' 82 ) pulled off a 23 - 22 victory over Alabama and its legendary coach , Paul " Bear " Bryant . College track and field . Jackson qualified for the NCAA nationals in the 100 - meter dash in his freshman and sophomore years . He considered a career in track and field , but sprinting would not gain him the financial security of the MLB or NFL , nor would he have sufficient time to train , given his other commitments . Going into the 1986 NFL Draft , Jackson ran a 4 . 12 40 - yard dash time . This dash was officially hand timed because the NFL Combine didn ' t start electronically timing athletes until 1990 . Professional sports career . Baseball . Kansas City Royals . Jackson was selected with the first overall pick of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , but he opted to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals , the defending World Series champions , who had drafted him in the fourth round in the 1986 amateur draft . He spent 53 games with the Memphis Chicks , the Royals ' Class AA minor league affiliate , and was called up to the majors in September 1986 . He made the Royals ' roster in 1987 and hit 22 home runs , with 53 RBIs and 10 stolen base s as an outfielder . Jackson began to show his true potential in 1989 , when he was voted to start for the American League All - Star team , and was named the game ' s MVP for his play on both offense and defense . In the top of the first inning , he caught Pedro Guerrero ' s 2 - out line drive to left - center field to save two runs . Then he led off the bottom of the first — his first All - Star plate appearance — with a monstrous home run off Rick Reuschel of the San Francisco Giants . NBC - TV announcer Vin Scully exclaimed , " Look at that one ! Bo Jackson says hello ! " Wade Boggs followed with his own home run , making them the first pair in All - Star history to lead off their side ' s first with back - to - back home runs . In the 2nd inning , he beat out the throw on a potential double play to drive in the eventual winning run . He then stole 2nd base , making him one of two players in All - Star Game history to hit a home run and steal a base in the same game ( the other is Willie Mays ) . Jackson finished the game with two hits in four at - bats , one run scored , and two RBI . On June 5 , 1989 , Jackson ran down a long line - drive deep to left field on a hit - and - run play against the Seattle Mariners . With speedy Harold Reynolds running from first base on the play , Scott Bradley ' s hit would have been deep enough to score him against most outfielders . But Jackson , from the warning track , turned flat footed and fired a strike to catcher Bob Boone , who tagged the sliding Reynolds out . Jackson ' s throw reached Boone on the fly . Interviewed for the " Bo Jackson " episode of ESPN Classic ' s " SportsCentury " , Reynolds admitted that he thought there was no way anyone would throw him out on such a deep drive into the gap in left - center , and was shocked to see his teammate telling him to slide as he rounded third base . On July 29 , 1989 against the Baltimore Orioles , Jackson , batting against Jeff Ballard , turned to the home plate umpire and attempted to call time out as Ballard was delivering the ball . The time - out wasn ' t granted , but Jackson recovered to swing and hit the pitch over the left - field wall for a home run despite only really seeing the ball as it was on its way to the plate . Jackson ' s 171 strikeouts in 1989 tied him for tenth most strikeouts in a season for a right hand batter since 1893 . On July 11 , 1990 against the Orioles , Jackson performed his famous " wall run , " when he caught a ball approximately 2 – 3 strides away from the wall . As he caught the ball at full tilt , Jackson looked up and noticed the wall and began to run up the wall , one leg reaching higher as he ascended . He ran along the wall almost parallel to the ground , and came down with the catch , to avoid impact and the risk of injury from the fence . During the 1990 season , Jackson hit HRs in 4 consecutive at - bats tying a Major League record ( held by several ) . His 4th came off of Randy Johnson after hitting his first 3 before a stint on the DL . After a poor at bat he was known to snap the bat over his knee or , with his helmet on , over his head . Unwilling to pay his $ 2 . 375 million salary in 1991 to rehabilitate his football injury , the Royals released Jackson on March 18 , 1991 . Chicago White Sox and California Angels . Before Jackson finished his career in California he played two seasons with the Chicago White Sox , appearing in 23 games in 1991 and 85 games in 1993 . It was with the White Sox that he made his only post - season appearance , in the 1993 American League Championship Series , which Chicago lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games . While with the Sox , Jackson promised his mom that once he returned from his hip replacement surgery that he would hit a home run for her . Before he could return , his mother died . In his first at bat after surgery he hit a home run to right field . Jackson had the ball encased in acrylic and bolted to the dresser in her room , according to an interview on ESPN . In his eight baseball seasons , Jackson had a career batting average of . 250 , hit 141 home runs and had 415 RBIs , with a slugging average of . 474 . His best year was 1989 , with his effort earning him All - Star status . In 1989 , Bo ranked fourth in the league in both home runs , with 32 , and RBI , with 105 . Football . Jackson was drafted first overall in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Controversy abounded before then that resulted in Jackson never playing for the team . In addition to giving Jackson an ultimatum to pick between sports , Buccaneers management took Jackson on owner Hugh Culverhouse ' s private jet to visit with the team during his senior baseball season . Jackson was told by the Buccaneers that the trip , which could potentially have cost Jackson his remaining collegiate eligibility , had been cleared by the NCAA . Jackson was later told by his baseball coach at Auburn that the trip , in fact , was considered to be a violation of NCAA rules and that he was immediately ruled ineligible to play the remainder of the baseball season . An upset Jackson told Culverhouse that he would never play for the Buccaneers and that he could draft him if he wanted to , but he would not sign if he was drafted . It was said that Jackson , who was having what he called his best year playing baseball in school , made the Buccaneers nervous and that by getting him somehow ruled ineligible to play baseball , he would be forced to focus on football . Jackson held true to his threat not to sign , and the Buccaneers forfeited his rights before 1987 draft . Jackson was in spring training with the Royals when someone informed him that he had a chance to play football again . Inquiring who it was , Jackson found out that he was taken in the seventh round of the draft with the 183rd pick by the Los Angeles Raiders . Initially Jackson had said he would continue to focus on baseball and would not sign , but his interest was piqued . Raiders owner Al Davis was a fan of Jackson and was receptive the idea of Jackson playing both baseball and football . Thus , a contract was negotiated where Jackson would be permitted to play the entire baseball season with the Royals and would report to the Raiders once the season was finished . In addition to this , Davis gave Jackson a salary that was in line with what a top - flight starter at halfback would make . Jackson joined the Raiders in time for their Week 7 matchup against the New England Patriots , where he rushed for a total of 37 yards on eight carries . Jackson shared the backfield with Marcus Allen , himself an All - Pro and former Heisman Trophy contender , but eventually supplanted him as the featured running back despite being listed as the team ' s fullback . Perhaps his most notable performance in his rookie season came on " Monday Night Football " against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11 . Prior to the game Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth insulted Jackson and promised in a media event before the game to contain Jackson . Jackson responded by running over Bosworth on his way to a touchdown near the goal line . He also made a 91 yard run in the 2nd quarter , to the outside , untouched down the sideline . Jackson was running so fast that his momentum carried him into the tunnel leading to the locker rooms and his teammates had to retrieve him . Jackson rushed for 221 yards that night and two touchdowns . He added a third with a reception . In his rookie season , Jackson rushed for a total of 554 yards on only 81 carries for a 6 . 8 yards per carry average . He played in seven games , starting five , and scored a total of six touchdowns ( four rushing , two receiving ) . The next year , Jackson played in ten of the Raiders ' sixteen games with nine starts , recording a total of 580 yards and three touchdowns . Jackson ' s 1989 season was his best in the league . In eleven games , with nine starts , Jackson rushed for a total of 950 yards with a 5 . 5 yards per carry average and four touchdowns . In his abbreviated 1990 campaign , Jackson rushed for 698 yards and was selected to the only Pro Bowl of his career . In his four seasons in the NFL , Jackson rushed for 2 , 782 yards and 16 touchdowns with an average yards per carry of 5 . 4 . He also caught 40 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns . Jackson ' s 221 yards on November 30 , 1987 , just 29 days after his first NFL carry , is still a " Monday Night Football " record . Injury and comeback . During the divisional round of the 1990 NFL playoffs in January 1991 , Jackson was tackled by Kevin Walker of the Cincinnati Bengals , causing a serious hip injury that ended Jackson ' s football career and seriously threatened his baseball career . After Jackson was tackled and lying in pain on the ground , he allegedly popped his hip back into place . In an interview on " Untold " , his Royals teammate George Brett , who attended the game , said he asked the trainer what had happened to Bo . The trainer replied : " Bo says he felt his hip come out of the socket , so he popped it back in , but that ' s just impossible , no one ' s that strong . " Following surgery and rehabilitation on his injured hip , it was discovered that Jackson had avascular necrosis , as a result of decreased blood supply to the head of his left femur . This caused deterioration of the femoral head , ultimately requiring that the hip be replaced . Amazingly , Jackson was able to return to baseball toward the end of the 1991 season as a member of the White Sox after the Royals had released him . Jackson missed the entire 1992 baseball season . When he announced soon after his surgery that he would play baseball again , many thought that goal to be unrealistic , especially at the Major League level . Before returning to baseball , Jackson tried his luck in basketball ; he played briefly for a semi - pro team in Los Angeles before quietly retiring to focus on baseball . Jackson was able to return to the Chicago White Sox in 1993 , and in his first at - bat , against the New York Yankees , he hit a home run with his first swing . The next day Nike ran a full - page ad in " USA Today " ; it simply read " Bo Knew . " He would hit 16 home runs and 45 RBIs that season , helping lead the White Sox to the American League West Division crown . Jackson was honored with the Tony Conigliaro Award . Yet while his power remained , he no longer possessed his blazing speed . During his time with the White Sox , Jackson had no stolen bases , although he did play in his only career postseason games . For the 1994 season , he was signed as a free agent by the California Angels for one final season , where he hit another 13 home runs in 201 at bats , before retiring during the strike . Popularity . " Bo Knows . . . " . Jackson became a popular figure for his athleticism in multiple sports through the late 1980s and early 1990s . He endorsed Nike and was involved in a popular ad campaign called " Bo Knows " which envisioned Jackson attempting to take up a litany of other sports , including tennis , golf , luge , auto racing , and even playing blues music with Bo Diddley , who scolded Jackson by telling him , " You don ' t know Diddley ! " ( In a later version of the spot , Jackson is shown playing the guitar expertly , after which an impressed Diddley says , " Bo . . . you " do " know Diddley , don ' t you ? " ) Video games . Called " the greatest athlete in video game history " , Jackson ' s digital counterpart was nicknamed by fans as " Tecmo Bo " since being featured in the 1989 video game " Tecmo Super Bowl " for the Nintendo Entertainment System . He also had his own video game for the original Game Boy portable gaming system , " Bo Jackson ' s Hit and Run " . The game featured both baseball and football . Released around the same time was " Bo Jackson Baseball " for the NES system and IBM compatible computers . Bo Jackson can be unlocked as a player in " ESPN NFL Football " . Bo Jackson had also made an appearance in the 2004 video game " NFL Street 2 " . Jackson appeared in " ProStars " , an NBC Saturday morning cartoon show which also featured Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan fighting crime and helping children , although neither he , Gretzky , nor Jordan voiced their respective characters . Apparel . In 2007 , Nike released a set of Nike Dunk shoes honoring Bo Jackson . The set featured three color - ways based on previously released Nike shoes : the " Bo Knows " Trainer I , Trainer 91 and Medicine Ball Trainer III . In 2011 , The TecmoBowl . org honored Bo Jackson with a limited edition shirt . Pre - game traditions . Before Royals games , Jackson used to shoot at a target with a bow and arrow while in the Royals clubhouse . Life after sports . In 1995 , Jackson completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn to fulfill the promise he made to his mother . Through the 1990s , Jackson dabbled in acting , having made several television guest appearances first on " The Fresh Prince of Bel - Air " in 1990 as well as " " and " Married . . . with Children " . He later appeared in small roles in the films " The Chamber " , " The Pandora Project " and " Fakin ' Da Funk . " Jackson served as the President of the HealthSouth Sports Medicine Council , part of Birmingham , Alabama based HealthSouth Corporation . He was also spokesman for HealthSouth ' s " Go For It " : Roadshow . Jackson is married to wife Linda , a clinical psychologist , and has three children – sons Garrett , Nicholas , and daughter Morgan . 2000s . The Chicago White Sox chose Jackson to throw the ceremonial first pitch before Game Two of the 2005 World Series . The White Sox would win that game on a 9th inning walk - off home run , then go on to sweep Houston Astros for their first Championship in 88 years . In 2006 , Jackson appeared on the Spike TV sports reality show , " Pros vs . Joes " . In his second appearance , he easily defeated amateur athletes in a home run - hitting contest . When he bunt ed instead of swinging on his final try for a home run , the announcer stated : " Bo knows taunting . " In 2007 , Bo came together with John Cangelosi to form the Bo Jackson Elite Sports Complex , an multi - sports dome facility in Lockport , Illinois . He is part - owner and CEO of the facility . He has been successful with other investments , including a food company , N ' Genuity . He often says that while he may have been great for sports , sports were no doubt greater for him considering the post - career opportunities that have been afforded to him . Jackson and his family live in Burr Ridge , Illinois . He is among a group of investors who own The Burr Ridge Bank and Trust in the Chicago suburbs . He is on the bank ' s board of directors and is said to be " rolling up his sleeves " and working along with everyone else to make sure that the small bank becomes a success during tough financial times . According to Jackson : " we have no type of debt , like all the other banks . We ' re a small community bank and one thing we all decided , is that if we are going to do a bank in our community , it needs to be owned by the people who live in the community . " On May 9 , 2009 Jackson delivered the commencement speech at Auburn University ' s graduation ceremony . His speech was centered on the benefits of stepping out of one ' s comfort zone . 2010s . On July 12 , 2010 Jackson threw the ceremonial first pitch before the 2010 Home Run Derby at Angel Stadium in Anaheim California and participated in the celebrity softball game . After 20 years since his famous " Bo Knows " campaign , Jackson returned to do commercials for Nike in the fall of 2010 for their " BOOM " campaign . In this commercial , he playfully taunted New York Yankees star Robinson Canó during batting practice before being impressed by a hit , responding to it by saying " Boom ! " In December of that year , Jackson was named a 2011 winner of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award , given annually to six former NCAA student - athletes for distinguished career accomplishment on the 25th anniversary of their college graduation . In April 2012 , Jackson participated in Bo Bikes Bama , a 300 - mile cycling trip in support of tornado victims in Alabama . On March 3 , 2013 , Jackson won ESPN ' s Sport Science " Greatest Athlete of All Time " bracket , defeating Roger Federer , Muhammad Ali , Michael Jordan in the semifinal , and Jim Brown to claim the title . On January 22 , 2014 , Bo Jackson rejoins the Chicago White Sox as an ambassador to the team joining the ranks of Frank Thomas , Minnie Minoso , Carton Fix , Ron Kittle , Carlos May , and Bill Melton . Press Release