Auburn baseball was going to make history in 1986—the first college baseball team ever (I mean, I’m assuming) to take the field with the best player in college football. And if that year’s media guide is any indication, the program was expecting to ride Bo’s lightning to something close to record attendance.
Featured on the cover? Hal Baird, Head Coach. And Bo Jackson—but not just Bo Jackson, Centerfielder, Bo Jackson—Heisman Trophy winner / Centerfielder.
Bo batted .401 his junior year. He hit 43 RBIs in 42 games and had 17 homers, three of which came in a Natural-esque game at Foley Field in Athens that had even Georgia fans cheering. Sadly, tragically, his senior year was ruined by the Tampa Bay Bucs—or at least he blamed the Bucs, who had assured him that their “it’s just a physical” junket had been cleared with the NCAA. It hadn’t been. He was declared ineligible. And the Auburn dugout lost its Heisman winner.
Tampa Bay told him to stop crying and put on his shoulder pads. He wasn’t good enough to play professional baseball. In “Bo Knows Bo,” Jackson says he told his lawyers to tell the Buccaneers to “go f**k themselves.” Then the Heisman Trophy winner signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals.
Related: The giant card Tampa Bay fans sent to Bo Jackson.
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I’ve got one of those from when my grandfather took my brother and me to a game against Richmond. We saw Bo Jackson steal second base while the pitcher was still holding on to the baseball. Unfortunately, Bo had to leave the game early for some reason and we were unable to get his autograph, but we did get Trey Gainous and a few of the other players to sign the program.
and the owner of the Bucs was a bammer