Many still say it could have been avoided if the Bucs had only listened. Just by persuading Jackson to play football at Auburn, Dye knew well that he could turn down a tempting offer. In , coming off a World Series appearance, the Yankees drafted Jackson in the second round out of high school, "offered him a bunch of money, and he turned that down, too.
Dye barely remembers the name of Culverhouse — he calls him "Holshauser" and "Householder" before being reminded — but remembers well that he was an Alabama graduate, a friend of Bear Bryant's, someone who flew up to Auburn to meet with Jackson and for whatever reason, talked a lot about the Crimson Tide beating the Tigers the year before.
You've got to make it his idea. The Bucs unwittingly fell out of Jackson's favor a month earlier, when they sent Culverhouse's jet to pick him up for a physical and a visit. Team officials said they had checked with the NCAA and SEC, but the conference didn't let athletes be professionals in one sport and amateurs in another. Because of the flight, Jackson was ruled ineligible halfway through his baseball season at Auburn, and despite the Bucs' efforts to help him appeal, he was convinced the team had scuttled his collegiate baseball career on purpose.
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Had the Bucs or Jackson told Auburn baseball coach Hal Baird about the flight ahead of time, he might have flagged the SEC rule, fearing the worst when Jackson told him his expenses on the trip had been paid. Baird, also retired now, last week called the SEC's decision to rule him ineligible "a regrettable and shameful action," and one that drove a wedge between Jackson and Culverhouse, who died in Once it got in his mind that that might have been calculated, he was never playing a snap for them.
As a freshman, Jackson rushed for yards and nine touchdowns. While his campaign was cut short by injuries, things would turn around in his senior season.
Bo obliterated the competition during the season, managing 1, yards and 17 touchdowns for the Tigers, averaging 6. Jackson won the Heisman for his efforts, though it was by a razor-thin margin over Iowa quarterback Chuck Long. Jackson managed to balance football and baseball in college, though his baseball career was limited to a mere 90 games in college. Bo missed the entire season with an injury, and missed a chunk of his senior season due to being ruled ineligible.
Still, he slugged. Why did Jackson end up being ruled ineligible? Blame the Buccaneers. However, the Bucs had not gotten approval and thus was ruled ineligible. Bo believed that the Buccaneers had done that on purpose to keep him from playing baseball and possibly getting injured. Usually, baseball draft picks spend at least a couple seasons in the minors.
Bo, on the other hand, was fast tracked. After 53 games of Double-A ball, Jackson was called up by the Royals in September of , the same year he was drafted. He told Bo that he could keep playing baseball, and that he would join the Raiders whenever the MLB season ended. Davis was even fine with Jackson missing football games. Lower-case means part-time starter. Minimum receptions to qualify as career leader. Minimum touches to qualify as career leader. Available for player games since Sign up for the free Stathead newsletter and get scores, news and notes in your inbox every day.
View a sample email. It's also available for basketball, baseball and hockey. Sign Up For Free. Javascript is required for the selection of a player.
Choice is:. Most Recent Stories. Log In Subscribe. AFC East. AFC North. AFC South. AFC West. NFC East. NFC North. NFC South. NFC West. AL East. AL Central.
0コメント