The Last Folk Hero. Jeff Pearlman.

 

 

The Last Folk Hero.  The life and myth of Bo Jackson.  Jeff Pearlman.

It is very difficult to be a professional athlete in any one sport.    The odds are considerably reduced when it comes to being a performer in two different sports at the same time.    But it is not impossible and one such athlete by the name of Bo Jackson was able to pull off this unlikely feat in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.  In the book, The Last Folk Hero, the readers will get a complete edification of Bo Jackson the football player, baseball player and person as skillfully researched and told by author Jeff Pearlman.  

The talent of Bo Jackson was seemingly limitless.  Blessed with great size, near inhuman strength and speed, he excelled on the gridiron and the baseball diamond.   The book tells the reader how Jackson developed those skills growing up in semi-rural Bessemer, Alabama.    As a kid, left to the outdoors in his modest neighborhood, he was training for an unlikely stellar athletic career---only he did not know it as a youngster.  Whether it was hurdling country fences to chase after hogs or hunting down peers that dared to make fun of his studder, Jackson was developing his natural talents even without playing the sports that made him famous.  

Pearlman, the creator of numerous books including Gunslinger, Football for a Buck and Showtime, paints a bit of a symbiotic dichotomy towards the main character.    From a distance, it seemed like Jackson was a humble guy that eschewed the limelight.   And it is true that he did not seek attention or notoriety for his numerous feats.   However, from a closer view, though, the author suggests that Jackson had a surly side making him at times a difficult teammate and employee during his time with the NFL Raiders, MLB Royals, White Sox and Angels.   It was written that he would frequently refuse to sign autographs, unless done in the appropriate venues and compensated for his actions.   Jackson was also known to be nasty towards some rookies and hired hands in the respective organizations.   While revered by fans, this star running back and slugger, was often feared by employees or disdained by some of his football and baseball teammate and coaches.

On the other hand, Jackson could also be quite generous to his colleagues when the mood struck him to do so.    Pearlman talks about how he helped several baseball teammates when they were facing dire straits or other personal tragedies.  Jackson was also known to go on spending sprees to help rookies better adapt to their new careers and surroundings.  He was also very close to his mother and took care of her until her death in the early 1990’s.   Long after his playing career ended, Jackson became the co-founder of Bo Bikes Bama to help support the victims of a tornado that hit parts of the state very hard in 2011, raising more than 2 million in charity by the year 2020.

Pearlman also dives into how Jackson seemed to take his athletic abilities for granted.   Jackson, who starred at Auburn University as a running back on the football team and outfielder on the Tigers baseball team, was not known for his great training regimens.    He was loathe to lift weights or spend any more time than necessary in the gym.   He wasn’t likely to spend time outdoors running or even working on his game.    In fact, Jackson was content with showing for the game, participating and then going about his business when the contest was finished.     Jackson reportedly would rather be hunting, fishing or not doing anything in particular.  

His actions frustrated teammates, coaches and employers.    On occasion, his whereabouts were unknown during the off-season.   His arrival to start the season was tenuous at times.    Because the end of the baseball season overlapped with the start of the football season, the Raiders were often guessing when he might begin his second season.   In fact, Jackson’s lack of contact with the Raiders once prompted head coach Art Shell, upon being asked when the halfback would arrive, to assert “his rocket will land sometime between now and Monday.”

It wasn’t really until his hip injury suffered in the 1989 football season, where Jackson realized that he had to work and train much harder to make the baseball team let alone coast and be the star that he was accustomed.     The injury was severe enough to cease his football playing days.   If it were not for the services of a few key trainers, Jackson’s baseball career may have ended then as well.   That this athlete was able to squeeze out a few more years on the diamond was a tribute to his training but also natural abilities, too.   Unfortunately for Jackson and his many supporters, the hip injury was not common and the medical advancements in the early 1990’s were not what they are today of the 2020’s.   According to Pearlman’s research and conferring with some prominent orthopedic surgeons, a player with Jackson’s hip injury could likely recover enough today to continue a career in most sports with the not surprising exception of football.  

Jackson is likely a folk hero to many especially for fans in his native state.    Although he did not seek attention for his many athletic accomplishments his presence is still felt in the card signing circuits and also amid the charities he helps sponsor.   It is a topic worth writing and Pearlman conducted plenty of research to put together this biography and even admits to frequently referencing the 1990 autobiography “Bo Knows Bo” collaborated with the late Dick Schaap.    Four hundred and thirty pages later, the book is a pretty comprehensive look at the athlete, man and myth.     Bo Jackson and Auburn fans may find this a must read but the more casual fan may need to brace themselves for frequent minutia and excessive reporting.     

 

·         You might like to read this book if you are a fan of Bo Jackson.

·         You might like to read this book if you are an Auburn University sports fan. 

·         You might like to read this book if you enjoy reading about college and professional football players.

·         You might like to read this book if you enjoy reading about major league baseball players.

·         You might like to read this book if you seek biographies of recent American sports figures.

 

Read more about the author on Twitter:   https://twitter.com/jeffpearlman.