Raiders: Should Bo Jackson be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

One of the most beloved players in Raiders history, Bo Jackson is an icon. However, he is not in the Hall of Fame. Should that change?

For Bo Jackson, he was already a legend before he played a snap of professional football. After rushing for 1,786 yards and a staggering 17 touchdowns in his senior season at Auburn, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy. For his efforts, he would be selected number one overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft.

However, Jackson would refuse to play for the Buccaneers. Instead, he would decide to play for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. Truly gifted as an athlete, he made his way through the minor league system quickly to become the Royals’ starting left fielder. An all-star in 1989, he was named the MVP of that game as well.

In 1987, the Raiders owner Al Davis purposed they select him in the seventh round of that year’s draft. After all, why not take a chance on the former Heisman winner? The Raiders would allow Jackson to continue playing baseball and then join the team when the season was over. In a sense, playing NFL football was a hobby for Jackson.

While his NFL career would be cut short after four seasons, the highlights were plentiful. While people marveled at his combination of size and speed, he was racking up stats that were enough to earn him trips to the Pro Bowl despite only playing in ten games. After the unfortunate injury in 1991, his career was over and the Hall of Fame trajectory was over. Should that be the case though?