Bo Jackson

The most physically gifted athlete in college football history — Heisman winner and two-sport professional legend.

Vincent Edward Jackson was born in Bessemer, Alabama in 1962. He attended Auburn University and won the Heisman Trophy in 1985 after rushing for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns. His four-year Auburn career produced 2,782 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns. He was the consensus All-American running back in 1985. Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him first overall in the 1986 NFL Draft but he refused to sign, choosing to play professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals instead. The Raiders signed him as a part-time player — he only played NFL football during baseball off-seasons — and he still became a Pro Bowl running back. His combination of baseball and football at the professional level is the most celebrated two-sport achievement in American sports history. His physique — 6ft 1in, 230 pounds with sprinting speed — was described by professional athletes in both sports as unlike anything they had ever encountered. A hip injury in January 1991 ended his football career and significantly curtailed his baseball career. The Nike Bo Knows advertising campaign made him one of the most recognisable athletes in American history. His Auburn career, though cut short at three full seasons, represents some of the most physically imposing college football ever played.

• Heisman Trophy (1985)
• SEC title
• Consensus All-American
• Two-sport professional athlete