Bo Jackson's first monster shot left a massive mark on sports

By the eve of a new decade, Jackson was an MLB All-Star and All-Star MVP after this monster shot to center made him the unanimous choice at the 1989 All-Star Game.

Bo was already a star for his exploits at Auburn, but once he dominated the NFL AND MLB at such a young age, his fame went next level. Bo knew football and clearly baseball, and the "Bo Knows" Nike campaign made him arguably the most famous athlete in the world this side of Michael Jordan. He was great, and he was great in two professional sports.

(Speaking of M.J., who can forget his own two-sports foray, leaving basketball at the pinnacle of the sport to embark on an ultimately fruitless baseball career before coming back to win three more championship with the Chicago Bulls?)

Statistically, Jackson’s numbers show him excelling more as a running back for the Los Angeles Raiders than as a baseball star. From trucking Brian Bosworth to his 91-yard gallop that continued all the way up the tunnel to his video game dominance that still resonates today, Jackson was considered by many as the best running back in football despite never playing more than 11 games in a season.

However, a tackle in the 1990-91 season injured Jackson’s hip and subsequently shed light on a larger deterioration of that hip. Despite showing flashes of the old Bo, Jackson was never the same, ultimately retiring from both games in 1995.

The list of players who excelled in both sports is long, but none ever rose to the level of Jackson. In fact, one could argue that only Deion Sanders (who is still the only player to play in both the World Series and Super Bowl) comes close to being in the pantheon of players like Jackson and Thorpe.

Need a refresher of what “Prime Time” was? Check this video out, specifically the one-minute mark when worlds collide (literally for Deion) in a game between the Yankees and Royals.

You could say Sanders reached a similar level of fame as Jackson, but he was never as dominant in both sports the way Bo was. Sure, Prime Time is an NFL Hall of Famer and perhaps the best cover corner of all time, in addition to one of the game's ultimate return men, but he was never an MLB All-Star or even close to it.

That is to take nothing away from Sanders, an all-time great in his own right who shined off the field as well as on.

Two-sport pro athletes today are rare, but it’s not for the lack of trying. Many of today’s top football players have contracts that could find them on the farm franchises of MLB clubs. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and then acquired again by the Texas Rangers via the Rule 5 draft. Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston is also a member of the Texas Rangers, and currently suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was drafted by the Montreal Expos.

New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker was also drafted twice by MLB clubs, the Brewers and Twins, and the Detroit Lions’ Golden Tate, another wide receiver, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Even current lightning rod San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.

But it’s been the news of Tim Tebow looking to join the pro baseball ranks that is the latest instance of a player looking to excel at two sports. That’s not to say Tebow excelled in the NFL because, well… he didn’t. A journeyman, Tebow was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, after stints with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, even helping steer Denver on a playoff run. After trying his hand as commentator — another growing pain he's still embarking on — Tebow is resorting to resurrect a baseball career under the Mets umbrella, a sport he excelled at in high school.

Despite having considerable rust, there are those in the game that think Tebow still has that “IT” factor.

Whether that’s the case remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say those accomplishments won’t transcend the exploits of one of the greatest to ever do it.

Nike recognized this and jumped on a marketing roller coaster in the late 1980s and '90s with its "Bo Knows" campaign that became a staple in not just the sports world, but forever in pop lore.

When will we see the next Bo?

We may never, but we'll certainly continue to see those who will try.