# Bo Jackson: Better at Football or Baseball? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 5, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287 "2015-07-05T00:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/1 "2015-07-05T00:57:20Z")
Bo Jackson: Better at Football or Baseball? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/2 "2015-07-05T01:06:29Z")
[Earlier thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722586) This should get you started. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/3 "2015-07-06T16:10:44Z")
Short answer: good at baseball, GREAT at football. He definitely would have been a Pro Football Hall of Famer if he’d stayed healthy. He wouldn’t have been a Baseball Hall of Famer. He was an awesome all-around athlete, with excellent speed, great strength and a superb throwing arm. But while he had the power to hit a lot of home runs, he wasn’t a great hitter and didn’t draw many walks. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/4 "2015-07-06T18:58:13Z")
The most electrifying RB Ive ever seen…an awesome combo of speed and power. He needs to be checked for replicant DNA. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/5 "2015-07-06T19:22:03Z")
A really good all-around baseball player. Great as running back. If his career continued I think he would have been known more for his football performance. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/6 "2015-07-06T20:08:07Z")
He was only going to get better as a baseball player. Most likely not a HOFer, but a real pity his football injury cut short his baseball career. And very annoying as a KC fan that he got hurt playing for the Raiders. [The throw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBJIyD7wDdc) 330 feet in the air. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/7 "2015-07-06T20:43:30Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > The most electrifying RB Ive ever seen…an awesome combo of speed and power. He needs to be checked for replicant DNA. 😉 Yeah, it’s a total shame that his pro football career lasted only a few years. That dude was an absolute freak of nature. People his size aren’t supposed to be able to move _that_ fast. _Easily_ one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. No question about it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/8 "2015-07-06T21:21:00Z")
> [@racepug](#): > > Yeah, it’s a total shame that his pro football career lasted only a few years. That dude was an absolute freak of nature. People his size aren’t supposed to be able to move _that_ fast. _Easily_ one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. No question about it. With his speed, strength and great throwing arm, I’ve often wondered how great a decathlete he might have been. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bo-jackson-better-at-football-or-baseball/724287/9 "2015-07-06T22:29:58Z")
[Pretty good](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Jackson)in college: > [@](#): > > While at McAdory High School, Jackson competed as a sprinter, hurdler, jumper, thrower and decathlete. His best 100-meter time in high school was 10.44 seconds, but he would later run a 10.39 at Auburn. He also ran the 100-yard dash in 9.54 seconds. As a hurdler, he recorded times of 7.29 seconds in the 55m hurdles and 13.81 seconds in the 110m hurdles. In decathlon, he reached 8340 points. In the jumping events, he had personal-best jumps of 2.06 meters in the high jump, 7.52 meters in the long jump and 14.85 meters in the triple jump. As a thrower, he got top-throws of 15.27 meters in the shot put and 45.44 meters in the discus throw.[14]