The Outstanding Life of Bo Jackson You hardly ever hear of someone playing two professional sports. Bo Jackson did that. He didn’t just play the two sports, he thrived in them. Bo jackson is famous for being one of the most outstanding and versatile athletes of all time. Throughout Bo Jackson’s life he did so many great things, but many of them were left unmentioned. On November 30, 1962, Vincent Edward Jackson was born, commonly known as Bo Jackson. When Bo was Younger they called him Boar.
The reason for the name boar is when he was 11 years old his older cousin punched him in the stomach as hard as he could and it didn’t even faze him(Devaney1). Bo was a very mean, tough and brutal person in his younger years. One day him and his group of friends was walking around and got bored and stumbled upon a cage full of pigs and they took bats and rocks and killed every one of them until they heard the farmer come out and fire a gun. They all ran home. The farmer came to Bo’s house and they made a deal that Bo would work and earn the money to pay him back for the pigs.
His mom told him if he didn’t pay the farmer back for the pigs she would send him to reform school like his brother. From then on Bo didn’t want to be a tyrant anymore. He decided he wanted to go to school and get an education (Devaney 2). In the fall of 1978, Bo was 15, he started high school in McCalla. He made some new friends. They knew nothing of the past of boar and when he told them his nickname they shortened it to Bo. One day after school his new found friends convinced him to tryout for football. During the tryout they stood in the stands cheering him on.
His first play in the tryout he sped past the line and tackled a runner for a loss. Bo made the team. This was the start of Bo Jackson’s football career (Devaney 12). The next fall of 1979, Bo walked in the locker room all of 6 feet tall and weighing around 170. The coach was amazed at how Bo had filled out. One kid even said, “All of it”,” is hard as concrete. ” (Devaney 14). During the 1979 football season Bo won a starting position playing defensive end. Later on in the season couch Atchison noticed Bo was getting bigger and stronger.
He decided he wanted him to carry the ball for him. He rushed for over 400 yards in the small amount of time he ran the ball that season. Over half of what the rest of the backs had for the whole season. This where Bo’s football career took off. After football season was over Bo made the track team (Devaney 14). One day after a track meet coach Brasseale, the baseball coach, came up to Bo and asked him to play for his team. He said, “I’ll share you with the track team. Bo said he would play. Coach Brasseale had him pitch.
Opponent said, “It looks like a white pea shooting at you. Although he really wanted to play outfield snagging line drives. His favorite thing about baseball was hitting. He loved slamming homeruns out of the park. That spring Bo won the state decathlon. After track meets he rushed to baseball games and pitched no hitters, stole 90/91 bases, and also jacked homeruns. He had a . 405 batting average. That is great. After one of his games his coach pointed to man wearing a ball cap and said, “See that man over there? ” Bo said ” yes. Who is he? ” The coach said, “He’s a scout from the New York yankees.
He heard about your hitting and pitching and came to watch you play. ” (Devaney 16) Later on the Yankees offered him a contract. He declined it and went to auburn on a full ride scholarship to play football and get an education like he planned too. His freshman year at auburn he was an All-American. His junior year he was an AllAmerican and he won the heisman. After he left Auburn the Kansas City royals picked him up. Later on in 1987 he decided he wanted to play professional football and baseball. So he reentered the 1987 NFL draft and the Los Angeles Raiders picked him up.
From 1987 to 1991 he played professional football half a season and professional baseball. Until he suffered from a hip injury. His performance declined and the kansas city royals released him. After that he retired from all sports in 1991. Bo Jackson did lots of amazing things, So many were left unmentioned. Bo was a heisman trophy winner in college. He played professional football. He also played professional baseball. In highschool he won the state decathlon two times in a row. Bo is one of the greatest athletes of all time.