[1] In addition, Jackson appeared in small roles as an actor in television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air[3] and Married... with Children,[4] as well as films such as The Chamber.

During his time playing for the Auburn Tigers football team, he ran for 4,303 career yards,[10] which was the fourth-best performance in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history.

Jackson missed much of his senior season after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA following a visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he believes tried to sabotage his baseball career.

The scout also noted that this was his first year playing baseball and he seemed to be a "do it all type of player" and also stated he was "the best pure athlete in America today".

Jackson, who ran 17 times for 114 yards during this Iron Bowl, continued marching his team downfield as he caught an 8-yard pass from quarterback Randy Campbell down to the Alabama one-yard line.

On fourth down with 2:26 left in the game, Jackson completed the drive by going over the top for a one-yard touchdown run as Auburn (which finished 9–3 in 1982) pulled off a 23–22 victory over Alabama and coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.

He considered a career in track and field, but sprinting would not gain him the financial security of MLB or the NFL, nor would he have sufficient time to train, given his other commitments.

He spent 53 games[26] with the Memphis Chicks,[27] the Royals' Class AA minor league affiliate, and was called up to the majors in September 1986.

[29] Jackson began to show his true potential in 1989, when he was voted to start for the American League All-Star team, and was named the game's MVP for his play on both offense and defense.

As he caught the ball at full tilt, Jackson looked up and ran three steps along the wall, to avoid impact and the risk of injury from the fence.

[37] Only 16 days after Jackson was released by the Royals, the Chicago White Sox offered him a three-year deal, guaranteeing $700,000 per season with a performance-based upside of $8.15 million over the term.

[38] White Sox co-owner Jerry Reinsdorf stated they did not anticipate him to play all seasons while he addressed his hip issues and avascular necrosis.

He appeared on White Sox' disabled roster during the 1992 season due to completing hip replacement surgery earlier that year.

[29][44] During his junior and senior years at Auburn, Jackson transitioned his focus to baseball and became increasingly vocal about his unwillingness to play in the NFL.

[45] A month before the 1986 NFL draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner and Alabama alum Hugh Culverhouse took him on a private jet to visit with the team and get a physical during his senior baseball season.

In truth, it had not, and because the SEC barred athletes from being professional in one sport and amateur in another, he was declared ineligible near the tail end of his senior baseball season.

Baird maintained that had he known about the trip, he would have told Jackson about the SEC rule that barred him from playing professional football while being an amateur in baseball.

Along similar lines, Dye told the Times that once Jackson concluded that the Tampa Bay trip was "a tactical move", it ended any chance of him ever playing for the Buccaneers.

[47] Choosing to sleep in rather than attend the 1987 NFL draft, Jackson found out that he was selected in the seventh round (183rd overall) by the Los Angeles Raiders.

Jackson shared the backfield with Marcus Allen, himself an All-Pro and former Heisman Trophy winner, but eventually supplanted him as the featured running back despite being listed as the team's fullback.

Jackson sustained an NFL career-ending hip injury from a seemingly routine tackle at the end of a 34-yard run in a playoff game on January 13, 1991, against the Bengals.

In his last football game, a playoff victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in January 1991, Jackson suffered a dislocated hip following a tackle.

He endorsed Nike and was involved in a popular ad campaign called "Bo Knows" which envisioned Jackson attempting to take up a litany of other sports, including tennis, golf, luge, auto racing, ice hockey, and playing blues music with Bo Diddley, who scolded Jackson by telling him, "You don't know Diddley!

Jackson likewise appeared in animated form in the Captain N: The Game Master episode "Battle of the Baseball Know-It-Alls", this time voiced by Canadian actor Blu Mankuma.

[65] In 1995, Jackson completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn[1] to fulfill the promise he made to his mother.

[10] Through the 1990s, Jackson dabbled in acting, having made several television guest appearances first on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990 as well as Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Moesha, and Married... with Children.

[67] The White Sox went on to win that game on a ninth-inning walk-off home run, then swept the Houston Astros for their first championship in 88 years.

[71] On May 9, 2009, Jackson delivered the commencement speech at Auburn University's graduation ceremony, about the benefits of stepping out of one's comfort zone.

On July 12, 2010, Jackson threw the ceremonial first pitch before the 2010 Home Run Derby at Angel Stadium[73] and participated in the celebrity softball game.

[75] On January 22, 2014, Jackson rejoined the Chicago White Sox as an ambassador for the team — joining the ranks of Frank Thomas, Minnie Miñoso, Carlton Fisk, Ron Kittle, Carlos May, and Bill Melton.