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Birth
Bo Jackson was born November 30, 1962, in Bessemer Alabama, in a low-income neighborhood. His mother raised him and his ten brothers and sisters in a three-bedroom house. Growing up in single parent home, Bo felt as if didn't fit in with the kids around him. -
Birth cont.
Also, Bo inherited a lisp from his father which caused him to be very shy and be bullied by other kids. Because of this, he fought a lot as a child and was known for throwing rocks. Eventually, Bo channeled his anger into sports which he was very good at. Although he had a difficult childhood, Bo overcame this through sports and became one of the greatest two sport athletes of all time. -
Bo chooses baseball cont.
This shows that Bo wasn't just in for the money. He turned down a huge contract that would have made him one of the highest paid players in the league, to do something that he loved. This shows that he did what was in heart and not what others told him to do or what was going to be paid the most. -
Bo Jackson Plays in First MLB Game
He chose to sign with the Royals instead of playing in the NFL. After only 53 games in the minors, Bo was called up to the majors. In this photo before a baseball game, he is seen smiling and laughing in the dugout(Vesely). This picture shows that although he was about to play a game in front of thousands of fans, he was still able to relax and enjoy the moment. This photo also shows that he has a relaxed and funny personality because he can have fun before a high-pressure situation. -
Bo chooses baseball
During Bo's senior year baseball season, Bo took a visit which he thought was NCAA approved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training center. Although Tampa Bay told him the trip was approved, it wasn't, and Bo Jackson was ruled ineligible for the rest of the season. In 1986 Bo was drafted first overall in the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. -
Bo chooses baseball cont.
In the same year, Bo was drafted in the fourth round by the Kansas City Royals in the amateur draft. Bo had to make a difficult decision on whether he wanted to play football or baseball. Bo Jackson turned down a seven million dollar contract with Tampa Bay to play baseball with the Royals. -
Bo chooses baseball cont.
In the press conference when asked why he chose baseball he said, " I didn’t become an instant millionaire. I went with what is in my heart. My first love is baseball, and it has always been a dream of mine to be a major league player"(Thirty). Bo choosing baseball over money shows that he does what he loves and not what would make him the most money. He does what he believes is best for him. -
Bo Jackson's first NFL game
Bo decided to return to football in 1987 when he signed with the LA Raiders. He would finish the season with the Royals and join the Raiders later in the NFL season. Bo played his first NFL game against the Patriots in October of 1987. In this photo, Bo is seen stretching before his first game. He is looking straight ahead drowning out all the distractions(Galbraith). This shows that Bo was a very focused individual that wouldn't let anything stop him. Bo would do anything to win. -
Bo Jackson Injury:
:Bo Jackson had the beginning of a Hall of Fame of career in both football and baseball. However, in January of 1991, Bo was running down the sidelines when he was tackled. The tackle didn't look like a career ending hit, but when Bo stood up, he knew something was wrong. After Bo was sidelined by his injury, he sits on the bench with his two sons by his side. -
Injury cont.
One of his sons is playing with a football, while the other is wearing his dad's helmet(Messerschmidt).This picture shows that he loves his kids because he let them on the sidelines during the game. Also, he is playing with them while the game is going on which again shows that he cares about his kids very much. This is also right after he got injured and he smiling and playing with his kids which shows how much he cares for them. -
ESPN releases 30 for 30: You Don't Know Bo
In his ESPN documentary, Bo Jackson talks about his difficult childhood and how he would get into fights because he was made fun of for his lisp. Although he had a difficult childhood, he was able to rise above and be a very successful professional athlete. This shows that he was dedicated because he could have led a life of crime but he chose to stick with his sports. He knew what sports could do for him and he was dedicated to those sports by staying out of trouble. -
Bo Bikes Bama
After the 2011 tornados that devastated Alabama, Bo created his charity Bo Bikes Bama. He rides 60 miles around the state of Alabama, to inspire people of his home state. This image of Bo Jackson Biking for his charity shows that he is a caring person and he wants to give back. Bo is smiling, enjoying himself, like he did so many times on the field, doing something that he loves
