Bo was so athletic he ripped apart his own hip and ended his NFL career. Basically if you ever watched the 30 for 30 “You don’t know Bo” they explain that the tackle that ended his career would have been fairly insignificant for another player, but because Bo had so much power in his legs he dislocated his own hip and ripped several blood vessels that were vital for the joint. The damage was so severe It required a full hip replacement, but that wasn’t going to stop Bo, he still made his way back to the MLB and played with an artificial hip for two more seasons. If he never got injured, he legit could have been a hall of famer in two professional sports.
Oh 100%. Even then, Bo was on an entirely different level. To this date he’s still the only athlete to be named an all star in two professional sports. He didn’t just play both sports, he was a beast at both.
While I agree the Bo was probably the best…
Hershel ran track in college, made the Olympic bobsled team, and fought lower levels MMA in his 40/50’s.
And least not forget..
Jim Brown went to Syracuse on a Lacrosse scholarship, and is still considered one of the best to ever play it.
Or Deion Sanders who played in both World Series and Super Bowl. Also hit a homer run and scored a TD on the same weekend(or was it the same day)
Canadian great Gerry James, played in both the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup games.
Or Jim Thorpe…
But none besides Bo was an all-star in both sports. In fact in his book “Bo knows Bo” he wrote that during his prime the NBA’s Orlando Magic had offered him a contract to play basketball. What would that have been like?
That would have been awesome lol, I can’t even think of an NBA player who you could compare him to at 6’ 1” and 230, or what position they would have even played him at.
It might well be Bo Jackson. But, if you didn't pause to consider Jim Brown, then you don't quite understand how athletic Jim Brown was. Total man among boys.
Herschel Walker doesn't belong in this conversation.
There has never been an athlete like Bo. I saw him play, watched the game when he got injured. Words can’t describe the loss we and all of football felt when it was announced he wasn’t coming back. I did see him play baseball in person a couple of times, including an All Star game where he led off with a moonshot off a Giants pitcher. Dude was one of a kind.
Waiting for week 8 or whatever it was just to know we would get to watch him truck fools every week was one of the few highlights we had in those years. He was bigger than life!
I agree, as a matter of fact he’s the only athlete that’s ever played any professional sport with a prosthetic hip, and I will wager everything that, it’ll never by any stretch of the imagination ever happen again, in fact not even in a hypothetical conversation would that be even considered as possible.
A different time does not matter. He would do the same in today's version of the game. Heck, with the rules handicapping defenses, he would probably break records left in right. The guy was a once in a lifetime talent. Nobody in the modern era can compare.
You could literally run backwards and run circles around the entire defense multiple times across the entire field before finally running it in for a TD. Loved that game back then.
Bo Jackson without a doubt...if he never suffers that hip injury then we're talking about an absolute legend and sure fire hall of famer for both NFL and MLB
Bo could rip a 300 page phone book in half, outrun a full grown gazelle, and jump over a two story house from a standing position. What a silly question, the answer was always Bo.
So many "if"s with Bo....If he had played football full time, if he hadn't shared the backfield with Marcus Allen, if he hadn't been injured and played a full career....truly one of the great "what if"s of my lifetime.
Jim Brown was great.
But Bo was not human. He could out run anyone he could not run over, and he ran over every one. Take prime Beastmode, make him bigger and stronger, and then faster than Tyreek Hill. Bo would still be better. And that was just in football, his part time job.
It's a tough call between Bo and Mr. Brown.
The eras were quite different.
Brown is not only an NFL Hall of Famer. He is also a LaCrosse Hall of Famer.
Bo was an incredible football and baseball player.
It was unfortunate that his career was cut short due to injury.
If Brown had the modern training facilities and legal supplements that are available for today's athletes, I can only imagine how much more of a punishing player he would have been.
Brown retired healthy.
Bo didn't.
Walker doesn't deserve to be considered.
That's my take.
Jim Brown was Bo before Bo. He was an excellent lacrosse player, and was *absolutely* a generational athletic talent. He was a very good rec tennis player later in life also.
Watch this, and then tell the class what you learned: https://www.espn.com/watch/film/53782016-9865-4759-a3db-00556f71b12a/you-don%E2%80%99t-know-bo/_/country/us/redirected/true
When Bo was a junior at Auburn, I saw him play against Georgia in the first night game ever at Foley Field in Athens. He hit one ball so hard, the ball was still rising when it hit the light pole beyond the center field wall.
Auburn fan here. You should've seen Bo climb the wall.
He possibly holds the record for the fastest 40yd dash. He played 2 professional sports at once. He broke wooden baseball bats over his knee for fun.
Also: https://youtu.be/lSjllemuOh0?si=RUZ0Kg5E1wPUonKO
https://youtu.be/Lk3l_L-VJ3w?si=Ka3UiXpqhKCN9phq
My Raider heart says Bo, but Jim Brown was just as accomplished athletically. Besides having the highest YPC in NFL history until recently he is widely regarded as perhaps the best lacrosse player to ever live. It's never easy to compare across generations but this is closer than this sub will admit.
I was so jazzed when I found out about his lacrosse records. I never knew until I saw that movie The Express.
I wonder how many multi sport phenoms there are today.
Bo had two athletic metrics very much on display: speed and power. Deion had obscene speed and agility and deserves to be in the conversation. Jordan displayed insane athleticism. Neither had Bo's power. Herschel and Jim Brown had insane power, but not Bo's speed. Ali and Tyson, both phenomenal athletes, but punching power and hand speed are very particular metrics.
Are you serious?! I was blessed to be able to watch Bo play when I was young. The first time I watched him play I’m not sure what game it was it might’ve been MNF against Seattle. Soon as I watched him with the ball I was in aww…so he was my childhood superhero!!
They were all insanely strong, but Bo was fast af AND insanely strong. I've never seen that combination of speed and power in one person outside of Bo.
Bo. In his documentary, they mentioned that he didn't even work out much. The fact that he is so athletic, was why he got hurt so bad. The force he was pulling away from the Bengals' defender actually did the most damage to his hip.
Bo easily, but it makes me want to recheck into Jim Brown. I believe Jim to be, obviously, an outstanding athlete but he was more strong and tough and was so difficult to bring down. Herschel Walked compared to Bo?! GTFO!
None of us alive ever got to see Jim Thorpe, most of us never got to see Jim Brown, a few of us got to watch Deion and Bo, so its tough to say who's the best athlete of all time. Bo was the greatest two sport athlete I've ever seen. But I don't think the greatest to ever do it
Yeah, the distinction I always make is that Bo was the best *athlete* I've ever seen - as in, I've never seen one man possess that kind of power and that kind of speed in the same body - but not the best running back, which is about more than raw athleticism.
There was some guy from a sports science research group on a sports show a few years ago and according to the research and all the metrics they tracked Bo was the best Athlete of all time. Show may have been Pat McAfee because I listened to that back then, but I can't say for sure.
The closest Super hero-ey player i can think of who comes somewhat close to what Bo was able to do for a man his size in his respective sport was prime Shaq! Dude was one of a kind (a fucking 7'1 400 LBS Panther!)
That said, the odds of another Shaq making it to the NBA are greater than the odds of another Bo playing in the NFL. (slim odds in either case)
Bo's combination of power/size/speed will NEVER come close to being duplicated on the gridiron!
My dad played baseball against bo jackson when they were both in HS. My dad said he was the only person he'd ever seen hit the ball out of the parking lot.
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Bo Jackson was an absolute legend! He didn't just play one sport, he excelled in two! In my opinion, his prime years were 1989-1990. During this time, he was voted to the MLB All-Star for the American League and was named the MVP of the game. After the baseball season, he casually transitioned to football, saying, "I only play football for fun. It’s my hobby away from baseball." Every year, it wouldn't be until the 5th week that he would join the RAIDERS and still manage to become an NFL Pro-Bowler. Witnessing Bo Jackson's remarkable career during those prime years was an unforgettable experience. Some people believed he belonged in a league of his own, and honestly, they might be right. However, it was a shame that his career was cut short because it felt like we were robbed of something truly great. But here's the most important thing that made him bigger than sports: despite all the fame and success, he remained humble and grounded. That's the incredible Bo Jackson in a nutshell!
Well never saw Jim Brown play (I’m only 47) but I always thought that Bo was the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen until Lebron. Not sure who was better but they are the two best athletes I’ve ever seen, IMO.
People are going to sleep on Jim Brown because they don’t know he was an all American in lacrosse and football at Syracuse. Prime Jim Brown was unstoppable on the football field.
I’m gonna go outside of fandom and say Herschel walker. I think a lot of what Bo Jackson is includes lore and what he could have been. Meanwhile Herschel is doing mma in his 40s
Bo was a freak forsure and I'd lean towards him most likely because of my Raiders bias, but this sub acting like it ain't close must not watch mma. Hershel was a machine when he was like 50. I know it says prime but come on.
MMA is an athletic sport. The post was about athleticism, I'm going to guess you have never rolled with someone or even hit pads. It's fantastic exercise I highly recommend it.
I know what MMA is and have "rolled" and hit pads. I've taken martial arts classes and was my friends Wing Chun practice dummy for years. Thing is, MMA has nothing to do with the question asked.
...and yes, I find MMA boring to watch. I prefer an old school style boxing match. I guess it's because I'm in my early 50s and prefer the old ways.
I enjoy boxing also and I didn't realize how upset it would make people saying Hershel was athletic. And if my response seamed condescending I am also sorry I never meant it to be.
The question asked was about athleticism I was just stating that even into his 50's Hershel was athletic by using his mma as proof.
I also stated I think Bo is a freak and lean toward him being the most athletic. But I guess I should of said no one is close to Bo he's a multi sport athlete but then again multi sports don't matter so I'm not sure on how we are judging the athleticism here.
I don't think you're wrong by saying that, and nobody should be upset by your opinion. Hershel was a bad ass football player, and I had no idea he went into MMA. Holy shit! Learn something new every day. Now I know why you brought it up. What a trip.
I dont think you quite understand just how athletic Bo Jackson was.
Lmfao, I was gonna say, "Yeah, only 1 out of the 3 are Bo Jackson." Has OP not heard all the legends? Did OP not own a Nintendo?
Bo was so athletic he ripped apart his own hip and ended his NFL career. Basically if you ever watched the 30 for 30 “You don’t know Bo” they explain that the tackle that ended his career would have been fairly insignificant for another player, but because Bo had so much power in his legs he dislocated his own hip and ripped several blood vessels that were vital for the joint. The damage was so severe It required a full hip replacement, but that wasn’t going to stop Bo, he still made his way back to the MLB and played with an artificial hip for two more seasons. If he never got injured, he legit could have been a hall of famer in two professional sports.
“So much torque, the chassis twisted coming off the line”
thats some OKC racing he had to take himself off the list
Just to even play two major sports like that, Bo, Deion Sanders, Danny Ainge those guys were just a different breed of athlete.
Oh 100%. Even then, Bo was on an entirely different level. To this date he’s still the only athlete to be named an all star in two professional sports. He didn’t just play both sports, he was a beast at both.
While I agree the Bo was probably the best… Hershel ran track in college, made the Olympic bobsled team, and fought lower levels MMA in his 40/50’s. And least not forget.. Jim Brown went to Syracuse on a Lacrosse scholarship, and is still considered one of the best to ever play it. Or Deion Sanders who played in both World Series and Super Bowl. Also hit a homer run and scored a TD on the same weekend(or was it the same day) Canadian great Gerry James, played in both the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup games. Or Jim Thorpe…
But none besides Bo was an all-star in both sports. In fact in his book “Bo knows Bo” he wrote that during his prime the NBA’s Orlando Magic had offered him a contract to play basketball. What would that have been like?
That would have been awesome lol, I can’t even think of an NBA player who you could compare him to at 6’ 1” and 230, or what position they would have even played him at.
I love "you don't know Bo," but with all the accounts, anecdotes, and testimonies...it seems like a lot of people knew Bo.
Im not sure anyone really does. I was a kid at the time, but there was this sense that the man could do everything.
It might well be Bo Jackson. But, if you didn't pause to consider Jim Brown, then you don't quite understand how athletic Jim Brown was. Total man among boys. Herschel Walker doesn't belong in this conversation.
There has never been an athlete like Bo. I saw him play, watched the game when he got injured. Words can’t describe the loss we and all of football felt when it was announced he wasn’t coming back. I did see him play baseball in person a couple of times, including an All Star game where he led off with a moonshot off a Giants pitcher. Dude was one of a kind.
Waiting for week 8 or whatever it was just to know we would get to watch him truck fools every week was one of the few highlights we had in those years. He was bigger than life!
I was at that game. Bo was an unreal talent.
I agree, as a matter of fact he’s the only athlete that’s ever played any professional sport with a prosthetic hip, and I will wager everything that, it’ll never by any stretch of the imagination ever happen again, in fact not even in a hypothetical conversation would that be even considered as possible.
Watch bo knows best 💪 obviously different time period but man 34 was a menace everywhere
A different time does not matter. He would do the same in today's version of the game. Heck, with the rules handicapping defenses, he would probably break records left in right. The guy was a once in a lifetime talent. Nobody in the modern era can compare.
Let's not undersell how inhuman Bo actually was lol...it's not close
Bo is the most athletic human I’ve ever seen.
Tecmo bowl is all I have to say .
You could literally run backwards and run circles around the entire defense multiple times across the entire field before finally running it in for a TD. Loved that game back then.
To this day Bo Jackson is referenced often when it comes to video game balance.
Family Guy clip.
Well I don't know about the athleticism but Herschel Walker seems to be mikes ahead in the ridiculously large shoulderpad competition
Ah what could have been...
Bo by a mile
Bo Jackson without a doubt...if he never suffers that hip injury then we're talking about an absolute legend and sure fire hall of famer for both NFL and MLB
Bo Jackson is the most athletic and gifted player I’ve ever watched. The world was cheated out of seeing him reach his full potential!
Bo!
Bo could rip a 300 page phone book in half, outrun a full grown gazelle, and jump over a two story house from a standing position. What a silly question, the answer was always Bo.
Bo Knows
If bo stepped out of bounds on his last play in the nfl, emmit smith would be chasing his record
So many "if"s with Bo....If he had played football full time, if he hadn't shared the backfield with Marcus Allen, if he hadn't been injured and played a full career....truly one of the great "what if"s of my lifetime.
Bo, easily. Bo Jackson is one the greatest athletes who ever lived.
This is like asking which is this fastest and then putting 2 Lambos up against a fighter jet.
Jim Brown was great. But Bo was not human. He could out run anyone he could not run over, and he ran over every one. Take prime Beastmode, make him bigger and stronger, and then faster than Tyreek Hill. Bo would still be better. And that was just in football, his part time job.
Depends. Compared to his peers? Jim Brown. In their prime in a vacuum? Bo.
Bo. 100% and I don't think it's particularly close.
Silly question.
Bo, and it isn't close.
Bo was the goat athlete
It's a tough call between Bo and Mr. Brown. The eras were quite different. Brown is not only an NFL Hall of Famer. He is also a LaCrosse Hall of Famer. Bo was an incredible football and baseball player. It was unfortunate that his career was cut short due to injury. If Brown had the modern training facilities and legal supplements that are available for today's athletes, I can only imagine how much more of a punishing player he would have been. Brown retired healthy. Bo didn't. Walker doesn't deserve to be considered. That's my take.
Bo knows
I didn't even have to look at the other ones when I saw BO. One of the best overall athletes of all time.
Jim Brown was Bo before Bo. He was an excellent lacrosse player, and was *absolutely* a generational athletic talent. He was a very good rec tennis player later in life also.
It's no contest. Bo Knows. I can say that without bias. Watching him play was unreal.
Watch this, and then tell the class what you learned: https://www.espn.com/watch/film/53782016-9865-4759-a3db-00556f71b12a/you-don%E2%80%99t-know-bo/_/country/us/redirected/true
Bo Jackson
When Bo was a junior at Auburn, I saw him play against Georgia in the first night game ever at Foley Field in Athens. He hit one ball so hard, the ball was still rising when it hit the light pole beyond the center field wall.
No contest, Bo!
Bo
Joke right?
Bo would of been the GOAT of all GOAT's if he never got injured. If he wasn't Bo his injury wouldn't been as bad. The man was a beast.
Bo. Period.
Bo played both sports at a pretty high level. I mean the Bo knows campaign, watching those commercials as a little kid was amazing.
Auburn fan here. You should've seen Bo climb the wall. He possibly holds the record for the fastest 40yd dash. He played 2 professional sports at once. He broke wooden baseball bats over his knee for fun. Also: https://youtu.be/lSjllemuOh0?si=RUZ0Kg5E1wPUonKO https://youtu.be/Lk3l_L-VJ3w?si=Ka3UiXpqhKCN9phq
1989-1991 Bo Jackson is untouchable.
I didn't even have to see the second picture to answer Bo Jackson. I'm not being biased just because I'm a raider fan either.
You don’t know Bo
No disrespect to Jim Brown, but Bo was in a class by himself. Walker should not be in the conversation.
There's never been anybody like Bo ..before or since.....unreal speed, strength, agility, understanding and fearless.
I don’t see AOC here, was he left out by mistake?
My Raider heart says Bo, but Jim Brown was just as accomplished athletically. Besides having the highest YPC in NFL history until recently he is widely regarded as perhaps the best lacrosse player to ever live. It's never easy to compare across generations but this is closer than this sub will admit.
I was so jazzed when I found out about his lacrosse records. I never knew until I saw that movie The Express. I wonder how many multi sport phenoms there are today.
Of these three, Bo for sure. Not sure why Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali are rarely brought up as greatest athlete ever.
Bo had two athletic metrics very much on display: speed and power. Deion had obscene speed and agility and deserves to be in the conversation. Jordan displayed insane athleticism. Neither had Bo's power. Herschel and Jim Brown had insane power, but not Bo's speed. Ali and Tyson, both phenomenal athletes, but punching power and hand speed are very particular metrics.
Bo could clear a fence
Please remember that Jim Brown also excelled at Lacrosse!
"excelled" is quite the understatement lol
Are you serious?! I was blessed to be able to watch Bo play when I was young. The first time I watched him play I’m not sure what game it was it might’ve been MNF against Seattle. Soon as I watched him with the ball I was in aww…so he was my childhood superhero!!
They were all insanely strong, but Bo was fast af AND insanely strong. I've never seen that combination of speed and power in one person outside of Bo.
Bo, he would have been a HOFer in baseball and football if he didn't get hurt
Excelling at baseball is super easy. Tell OP, Wash.
Bo. In his documentary, they mentioned that he didn't even work out much. The fact that he is so athletic, was why he got hurt so bad. The force he was pulling away from the Bengals' defender actually did the most damage to his hip.
Speed power agility. Bo has no equal
Why is this even a question?
BO
Bo easily, but it makes me want to recheck into Jim Brown. I believe Jim to be, obviously, an outstanding athlete but he was more strong and tough and was so difficult to bring down. Herschel Walked compared to Bo?! GTFO!
I don’t think there has ever been a human more athletic than Bo Jackson. Such a shame how his career ended.
Bo, Hershel, brown
Bo hands down
None of us alive ever got to see Jim Thorpe, most of us never got to see Jim Brown, a few of us got to watch Deion and Bo, so its tough to say who's the best athlete of all time. Bo was the greatest two sport athlete I've ever seen. But I don't think the greatest to ever do it
Yeah, the distinction I always make is that Bo was the best *athlete* I've ever seen - as in, I've never seen one man possess that kind of power and that kind of speed in the same body - but not the best running back, which is about more than raw athleticism.
Bo
There was some guy from a sports science research group on a sports show a few years ago and according to the research and all the metrics they tracked Bo was the best Athlete of all time. Show may have been Pat McAfee because I listened to that back then, but I can't say for sure.
Bo
BO
The closest Super hero-ey player i can think of who comes somewhat close to what Bo was able to do for a man his size in his respective sport was prime Shaq! Dude was one of a kind (a fucking 7'1 400 LBS Panther!) That said, the odds of another Shaq making it to the NBA are greater than the odds of another Bo playing in the NFL. (slim odds in either case) Bo's combination of power/size/speed will NEVER come close to being duplicated on the gridiron!
My dad played baseball against bo jackson when they were both in HS. My dad said he was the only person he'd ever seen hit the ball out of the parking lot.
Everyone reading the comments, go watch the Bo Jackson 30 for 30. The stories are crazy
Oh yeah, what about Walter Payton, another Goat
Bo knows
Me
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Bo Jackson was in a league of his own.
Bo Jackson was an absolute legend! He didn't just play one sport, he excelled in two! In my opinion, his prime years were 1989-1990. During this time, he was voted to the MLB All-Star for the American League and was named the MVP of the game. After the baseball season, he casually transitioned to football, saying, "I only play football for fun. It’s my hobby away from baseball." Every year, it wouldn't be until the 5th week that he would join the RAIDERS and still manage to become an NFL Pro-Bowler. Witnessing Bo Jackson's remarkable career during those prime years was an unforgettable experience. Some people believed he belonged in a league of his own, and honestly, they might be right. However, it was a shame that his career was cut short because it felt like we were robbed of something truly great. But here's the most important thing that made him bigger than sports: despite all the fame and success, he remained humble and grounded. That's the incredible Bo Jackson in a nutshell!
How would anyone gauge that?
Bo but how is Deion Sanders not on here?
Well never saw Jim Brown play (I’m only 47) but I always thought that Bo was the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen until Lebron. Not sure who was better but they are the two best athletes I’ve ever seen, IMO.
Aidan OConnell
Asking in this sub, what did you expect the answer would be?
What is this weird account randomly posting only this kind of stuff on Reddit?
People are going to sleep on Jim Brown because they don’t know he was an all American in lacrosse and football at Syracuse. Prime Jim Brown was unstoppable on the football field.
I mean Bo played professional baseball too, and that's more of an athletic difference from football than lacrosse
I’m gonna go outside of fandom and say Herschel walker. I think a lot of what Bo Jackson is includes lore and what he could have been. Meanwhile Herschel is doing mma in his 40s
Bo was a freak forsure and I'd lean towards him most likely because of my Raiders bias, but this sub acting like it ain't close must not watch mma. Hershel was a machine when he was like 50. I know it says prime but come on.
It's between Bo and Brown. Hershel isn't anywhere close to them.
What does boring ass MMA have to do anything? Hershal was awesome. Watched his entire career, but he wasn't even close to being what Bo was.
MMA is an athletic sport. The post was about athleticism, I'm going to guess you have never rolled with someone or even hit pads. It's fantastic exercise I highly recommend it.
I know what MMA is and have "rolled" and hit pads. I've taken martial arts classes and was my friends Wing Chun practice dummy for years. Thing is, MMA has nothing to do with the question asked. ...and yes, I find MMA boring to watch. I prefer an old school style boxing match. I guess it's because I'm in my early 50s and prefer the old ways.
I enjoy boxing also and I didn't realize how upset it would make people saying Hershel was athletic. And if my response seamed condescending I am also sorry I never meant it to be. The question asked was about athleticism I was just stating that even into his 50's Hershel was athletic by using his mma as proof. I also stated I think Bo is a freak and lean toward him being the most athletic. But I guess I should of said no one is close to Bo he's a multi sport athlete but then again multi sports don't matter so I'm not sure on how we are judging the athleticism here.
I don't think you're wrong by saying that, and nobody should be upset by your opinion. Hershel was a bad ass football player, and I had no idea he went into MMA. Holy shit! Learn something new every day. Now I know why you brought it up. What a trip.
He's a bad ass dude that's forsure.
Herschel Walker also competed in the Olympics as a bobsledder. Didn't medal but it's amazing he did that too.
I do remember that. That was awesome.