Due to an injury that prematurely ended his career, many young people aren’t aware of exactly how good Bo Jackson was at the game of football.

Bo Jackson came to the Auburn Tigers from McAdory High School in McCalla, Alabama where he had lettered in three sports and had won two state titles in the decathlon. In Jackson’s first year on the football team he scored the winning touchdown against in state rival Alabama, helping to end a ten year losing streak to the Crimson Tide. Jackson was a consensus All-American the next year when as a sophomore he rushed for 1,213 yards and led Auburn to an 11-1 record. He also went on to win the MVP award for his play in the Sugar Bowl that season. His junior year would be somewhat disappointing when a shoulder injury forced him to miss six games and the Tigers finished with a record of 9-4. He did make it back early from the injury and would eventually win the MVP award for his play in the Liberty Bowl. Jackson came back strong for his senior season when he would be named a unanimous All-American selection, average 6.6 yards every time he rushed the ball, and would finish the year winning the Outstanding Offensive Player in the Cotton Bowl. That wasn’t the end of the awards that year as he would go on to be named Player of the Year by the Sporting News, UPI, and the Walter Camp Foundation. During his senior season at Auburn he would have eleven different runs of fifty yards or more, including five that were over seventy yards in length. He would also win the Heisman Trophy following his senior season.

Football wasn’t the only thing Bo Jackson excelled at while in college. He also played baseball, starting in centerfield and batting over .400 one season, and ran on the track team.

In terms of being athletically gifted, the likes of Bo Jackson may never be seen again.