Bo Jackson Net Worth

What Is Bo Jackson’s Net Worth

Arguably the greatest and most versatile athlete in history, Bo Jackson has a net worth of $25 million. He is a retired American athlete who played both baseball and football professionally.

On 30^th November 1962, Vincent Edward Jackson was born in Birmingham, Alabama, US. He was born to A. D. Adams and Florence Bond as the eighth of ten children and named after his mother’s favorite actor Vince Edwards.

Thanks to his unique skills, Bo is the only athlete to have been named an all-star in both baseball and football. He also excelled in track events.

Jackson played for LA Raiders for three seasons after making it as the number 1 draft pick in 1986. He suffered a hip injury in 1991 and was forced to retire from football. He played 38 games in which he scored 16 touchdowns and rushed for 2,782 yards.

While he played football, he also played baseball for Kansas City Royals. Other teams he played for are the Chicago White Sox and California Angels. He retired in 1994 due to recurrent injuries from his previous hip injury but had a batting average of .250, 415 RBIs, and 141 home runs.

Bo also gained popularity through the Nike ad campaign “Bo knows.” He had numerous endorsements, majorly from Nike.

Earnings Overview

In 2023, Bo Jackson’s estimated net worth is a whopping $25 million, a level he has attained from his days as an athlete to his endorsements and investments.

As a footballer for the Kansas City Royals, he had a signing bonus of $110k, an average earning of $283k, and a 3-year contract worth $850k. He had a yearly salary of $7.4 million.

While playing for the Chicago Sox, he earned $1.1 million in the first year. The following year, it increased to $2.4 million.

Bo earned $1 million while playing baseball for California Angels in his last year before retirement. At the time of his career, he was the highest-paid non-quarterback player.

His endorsements and sponsorships with various brands have also given him much earnings. Nike is one of his largest deals, and they have had a long-term deal since 1986.

At the beginning of their contract, he was offered $100k yearly and an additional $1 million to play in the NFL. The same year, he sustained an injury and was paid $4 million.

He was featured in Nike’s ad campaign “Bo knows” after he won the 1989 MLB all-star and helped Nike take over the market in cross-training shoes. They had earned as much as $400 million.

He also had a $1 million deal with Gatorade and a $500,000 yearly payment from Pepsi and AT&T. All his endorsements in the 1990s were about $6 million. He earns about $1 million from Nike yearly, even though he doesn’t play professionally anymore.

Early Life

Vincent Edward Jackson was born in Bessemer, Alabama, where he grew up. He was named after his mum’s favorite actor at the time, Vince Edwards, and was taken care of by his mum as she was not married to his father. He is the eighth of ten children and was referred to as “wild boar hog” by his relatives for his troublesome attitude.

He studied at McCalla High School, Birmingham, and excelled as an athlete. He was a two-time decathlon winner and reached new records in the state for indoor high jumps and triple jumps in 1982. He also hit 20 home runs in 25 games as a senior in high school and rushed for 1,175 yards.

Due to his promise to his mother to be the first in his family to attend a major university, he turned down the 1982 MLB draft by the Yankees. He chose Auburn University instead and was on a football scholarship.

Career

1. Baseball

Bo Jackson was selected to play for Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL draft. However, he declined and played for Kansas City Royals who had chosen him in the 1986 amateur draft.

He chooses Kansas because of his grievances with the Buccaneers. He believed the Buccaneers deceived him and had him miss senior college baseball season after he visited their facilities. He was told the visit was NCAA approved, but it wasn’t, and as a result, he was barred from college sports.

Bo signed a $1.07 million three-year contract with Kansas Royals and played with the minor league. In September 1986, he joined the major league and made it to the roster in 1987. After his hip injury, he was released from his play with the Royals in 1991.

After his injury, Chicago White Sox offered him a three-year contract of $700,000 per season. The contract also involved a performance-based earning of $8.15 million.

Jackson played in 1991, took 1992 off because of his hip replacement surgery, and then played in 1993. He retired in 1994 after playing for the California Angels, stating that he needed to spend time with his family.

2. Football

While already playing baseball professionally, Jackson was selected in the 1987 NFL draft by the LA Raiders. Since he already had a contract and a baseball career, he wasn’t interested in joining the NFL. He, however, changed his mind when he learned that Raiders’ owner, Al Davis had no problem with him playing both football and baseball.

He had a five-year contract with the Raiders, allowing him to finish each MLB season before joining them. This implied that he would miss some games with the Raiders, but it was the deal he made. His contract was for $7.4 million, and he was the highest-paid non-quarterback at the time. His signing bonus was $500,000.

He played for four seasons in the NFL and had an average yard per carry of 5.4. He had 16 touchdowns, rushed 2,782 yards, and caught 40 passes.

His career came to an early retirement following a hip dislocation, leading to avascular necrosis in 1991 after a tackle.

In a recent statement about his career, Bo Jackson admitted he didn’t know the risks involved with football play back then. He said he wouldn’t have played football if he had known about the risks of head injuries that were involved.

Personal Life

Bo Jackson is married to Linda Jackson, a rehabilitation counselor. They got married in 1987 and together have three children. Their two sons are named Garrett Jackson and Nicholas Jackson, and their daughter is named Morgan Jackson.

He co-authored his autobiography in 1990 with Dick Schaap titled “Bo knows Bo.” He also kept his promise to his mother about being a graduate as he went back to finish college after retirement. He got his BSc in family and childhood development from Auburn University a year after retirement in 1995.

Lifestyle

As a celebrity, Bo Johnson is accustomed to a certain way of life and lives a lavish lifestyle. He is also active and keeps fit through workouts and diet plans.

After signing his contract with White Sox, Bo bought a $ 1.08 million house in 1991. The house is in Burr Ridge, and he lives with his family.

Bo Johnson is a TV personality who appeared in the Pro Stars show. He also played the character Calvin Farquhar on the show “Married with Children.” Other series where Bo has made appearances include Lois & Clark, The New Adventures of Superman, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, among others.

He has also been featured in various video games, such as Tecmo Bowl.

Investments

Bo Jackson is involved in many investments as he still earns passively from them. He is a board member of Burr Ridge Bank and Trust. He also owns Bo Jackson Signature Foods, serving Bo Jackson’s Bo’s burgers by Jensen (a collaboration with Jensen meat).

Bo owns Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports, a youth training center. It’s one of the country’s best indoor sports training centers and trains for sports such as baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse.

Bo has been featured in several video games and created his own called Bo Jackson Hit and Run.

Charity

The Bo Bikes Bama is a charity bike ride championed by Bo Jackson.  This charity act is meant to help his state Alabama.

In 2022, Bo donated $170,000 to cover the burial expenses of the victims involved in the Uvalde school massacre.

Summary

Bo Johnson has made history as a successful baseball and football athlete. He has also helped with brand promotion in his endorsement deals as he helped Nike gain the popularity that is theirs right now. With a net worth of about $25 million, Bo is one of the best stars the MLB and NFL have seen.