Few individuals in the history of American sport have possessed greater athletic ability than Bessemer, Alabama native Vincent “Bo” Jackson. Auburn University’s second Heisman Trophy winner, a three-time All- SEC and two-time All-American selection, Jackson is the only running back in Auburn history to rush for more than 4,000 yards in a career. In 1986, both the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and MLB’s Kansas City Royals drafted Jackson. Deciding not to play for the Buccaneers because they didn’t want him to also play baseball, Jackson signed his first professional contract with the Royals. The next year, the Los Angeles Raiders drafted Jackson with the understanding that he also would be allowed to play baseball, making Jackson one of the few athletes to succeed in both professional football and baseball at the same time. In March 2013, ESPN Sport Science named Jackson the Greatest Athlete of All Time. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
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