30 FOR 30: YOU DON'T KNOW BO: THE LEGEND OF BO JACKSON (TV)

Summary

One in this series of sports documentaries presented by ESPN about important people and events from 1979 to 2009.

This film is about the life of former professional baseball and football player Vincent “Bo” Jackson. Jackson is often described as a “legendary” figure, capable of performing seemingly superhuman physical feats in all of his endeavors. Information about his life is largely “anecdotal” to the public, encompassing a combination of rumors and tall tales. Jackson grew up in the small, low-income town of Bessemer, Alabama, raised in poverty as one of ten children of a single mother. He recounts how he always felt a sense of alienation as a child due to his family situation and difficulty communicating with others. He explains that mockery from his peers drove him to vent his frustrations by fighting with them, and he often got in trouble for doing so. At his high school, McAdory High School, he was noticed by athletic coaches and played football, baseball, and track, quickly becoming known for his athletic prowess. He broke numerous track and field records, earning statewide acclaim. His high school baseball coach recounts Jackson demonstrating his batting for a talent scout from the New York Yankees. The Yankees offer him a position in the lineup right out of high school, but Jackson turns down the offer on the advice of his mother. The Jackson family is described as “fiercely proud” and Jackson promised his mother that he would go to college.

At the end of his time in high school, Jackson is courted by coaches from both the University of Alabama and Auburn University, and ultimately he decides to attend Auburn and play on their football team. At Auburn, his football and baseball abilities become more widely known to the greater sports community, and his coaches come to realize that he is an exceptional individual. His abilities are largely natural and self-taught; his coaches note that they would more “suggest” actions to him than outright order him about, and Jackson recounts that he viewed practice as “a waste of time.” At the 1982 Iron Bowl, Auburn plays the University of Alabama, their longtime rivals. During this game, Jackson decides to utilize his high-jumping skills from high school and go “over the top,” i.e. leaping over the opponent’s formation at a crucial point in order to score a touchdown and win the game. On December 12th, 1985, Jackson is awarded the Heisman Trophy.

However, his situation changes when the NCAA rules him ineligible to play any more college sports due to a technicality involving several trips he took to visit other teams. On April 29th, 1986, the NFL draft takes place and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Jackson as their first-round draft pick. Because of the situation surrounding Jackson (which he blames on Tampa Bay) and the Buccaneers not courting him to sign beforehand, there is much confusion and controversy over this maneuver. Furthermore, Jackson notes that he is considering going to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals, although his inner circle believes that it would not be an economically sound decision. On June 8th, 1986, the MLB draft occurs and Jackson is selected as a fourth-round pick by the Royals, hoping to hedge their bets on the situation. The media is shocked and skeptical when Jackson decides to play for the Royals, believing he is wasting his natural talent at football to do so. His formal induction into the team on June 21st attracts a great deal of media attention. Jackson quickly impresses the Royals and sports media with his baseball talents; in one instance he hits a ball high enough to hit the top of the Royals’ crown-shaped scoreboard adornment, a feat seldom replicated since then.

Jackson’s official debut in the MLB takes place on September 9th, 1986, and in his first few games he performs feats which astound onlookers, such as nearly hitting a ball out of the Royals’ park. In 1987 Jackson receives an offer from the Los Angeles Raiders to play football for them, and he accepts. Jackson announces this move to football, calling it an off-season “hobby” of his. He makes the transition easily, defying the increasing specialization of athletes across professional sports. His greatest period of fame comes during this period, stretching from about 1985 to the early 1990’s. One particularly notable game comes on November 30th, 1987, when the Raiders play the Seattle Seahawks and he scores a touchdown after a 91-yard run. The game is also notable for Jackson’s interactions with Seahawks player Brian Bosworth, who had claimed to the media before the game that he would be out to get Jackson specifically. One particular play sees Jackson scoring a touchdown by pushing Bosworth aside, much to the crowd’s satisfaction. This game does much to solidify Jackson’s image as a viable two-sport athlete in the eyes of the viewing public.

At the 1989 MLB All-Star Game, Jackson is selected to lead off and hits a home run at his first at-bat, impressing even the other all-star players. During this time, Jackson lends his endorsement to Nike footwear products and greatly increases their profit margin. The ensuing “Bo Knows” campaign becomes instantly recognizable, and Nike becomes more ingrained in popular culture due to the campaign’s success. It changes the way that branding and athlete endorsement functions for products, and “Bo Knows” products become extremely popular. Even the football video game “Tecmo Bowl” portrays Jackson as an unstoppable player. Those who know Jackson personally attest that his growing stardom was counterbalanced by his personal humility, and that he did not allow the character the media portrayed him as to influence him to any significant degree. On July 15th, 1990, Jackson performs another memorable feat by catching a baseball in the outfield and then running along the back wall in order to slow himself. His proclivities coincide with the rise of cable television and sports-centric media, making him “well-suited for the age of the highlight.” Jackson at this time also becomes known for breaking baseball bats in half when frustrated, and for his high-flying outfield exploits. Jackson eschews traditional workout regimens, preferring activities such as hunting; many believe that if he were to have emerged in later years he would have been accused of steroid usage.

On June 5th, 1989, Jackson performs another notable feat by facilitating a two-out play from deep left field during a close game against Seattle, allowing the Royals to win. On January 13th, 1991, Jackson is tackled from behind during a playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals and as a result suffers a dislocated hip, causing him intense pain. At first his team and those close to him believe the injury is not a serious one; the media reports that he sustained a hip pointer. As the months pass, the pain remains and Jackson discovers that he severed a blood vessel around his femur bone, causing internal bleeding around the cartilage surrounding his hip. It becomes apparent to Jackson that he would require a hip replacement, and he fears that his football career is over. The Royals realize that he cannot return and reluctantly dismiss him from the team. This decision is announced on March 18th, 1991, although Jackson promises to return some day. On March 11th, 1992, Jackson receives his hip replacement and against his doctors’ orders intends to play sports again, undergoing rigorous physical rehabilitation. On April 9th, 1993, he returns to baseball to play for the White Sox, scoring a home run at his first at-bat; he dedicates it to his mother, who had recently passed away from colon cancer.

Jackson becomes the first professional athlete to play with an artificial hip, and many believe that he is operating on a diminished capacity. Recollections state that while he would occasionally perform feats similar to his previous period of fame, he could not do so consistently; he is described as “a shell of what he had been before.” On April 3rd, 1995, Jackson announces that he intends to retire from professional sports. In the present-day, Jackson continues his archery and hunting hobbies, stating that he makes arrows in his “man cave” as a form of stress relief. He takes pride in his various hunting trophies, including deer, elk, and bison; he either consumes the meat from these animals himself or donates it to needy families. Many theorize about Jackson’s potential in both of his sports, believing that he could have accomplished much more had he not been injured. For his own part, Jackson has no regrets about his life and wishes merely to be remembered as “a ball player who gave as much as he received.” Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: ESPN
• DATE: December 8, 2012
• RUNNING TIME: 1:20:17
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: 114731
• GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Sports
• SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Sports; TV - Public affairs/documentaries; TV - Sports
• SERIES RUN: ESPN - TV series, 2009-
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Dave O'Connor … Executive Producer
• Jon Kamen … Executive Producer
• Justin Wilkes … Executive Producer
• John Dahl … Executive Producer
• Connor Schell … Executive Producer
• Bill Simmons … Executive Producer
• Annetta Marion … Producer
• Nicole Pusateri … Producer
• Erin Leyden … Producer
• Kelsey Field … Co-Producer
• Joe Tessitore … Consulting Producer
• Mike Martin … Field Producer
• Michael Bonfiglio … Director
• Doubleday & Cartwright … Animation
• Jeremy Johnstone … Animation
• Audiosocket … Music by
• Joshua L. Pearson … Music by
• Tomsk 18 … Music by
• Jeff Keiler … Music by
• Michael Bonfiglio … Interviewee
• Chuck Klosterman … Interviewee
• Michael Weinreb … Interviewee
• Hal Baird … Interviewee
• Terry Brasseale … Interviewee
• Bomani Jones … Interviewee
• Boomer Esiason … Interviewee
• Vincent "Bo" Jackson … Interviewee
• Dickie Atchinson … Interviewee
• Mark Heisler … Interviewee
• Art Stewart … Interviewee
• Pat Dye … Interviewee
• Jeremy Schaap … Interviewee
• David Housel … Interviewee
• Mike Greenberg … Interviewee
• George Brett … Interviewee
• Mark Gubicza … Interviewee
• Curt Nelson … Interviewee
• Marcellus Wiley … Interviewee
• Howie Long … Interviewee
• Cris Carter … Interviewee
• Tom Clarke … Interviewee
• Jim Riswold … Interviewee
• Mark Thomashow … Interviewee
• Tinker Hatfield … Interviewee
• Lynn Merritt … Interviewee
• Dick Kaegel … Interviewee
• James Andrews … Interviewee
• Brian Bosworth