Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson, exceptional athletes, were Auburn football teammates before reuniting on the Chicago White Sox. Both were initially recruited to play football, later excelling in professional baseball careers.

In the rich history of American sports, few stories match the extraordinary paths of Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson. Both men were phenomenal multi-sport athletes who not only left a mark on college football at Auburn University but also went on to achieve greatness in professional baseball. Even more remarkably, their paths crossed at pivotal moments—in college as football teammates and later as teammates again with the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball.

Their careers, while distinct in style and accomplishment, reflect the rarest kind of athletic versatility, resilience, and shared legacy. This is the story of two iconic athletes whose bond stretches across the gridiron and the baseball diamond.

Early Years: Parallel Paths Begin

Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson were born just two years apart—Jackson in 1962 in Bessemer, Alabama, and Thomas in 1968 in Columbus, Georgia. Both grew up in the Deep South and quickly displayed athletic ability far beyond their peers.

Bo Jackson’s legend began early. By high school, he was a force in football, baseball, and track. A naturally gifted athlete with rare speed and power, Jackson seemed capable of excelling in any sport he attempted. Frank Thomas, meanwhile, was a large, powerful teenager with a smooth swing and exceptional hand-eye coordination. Like Jackson, Thomas excelled in both football and baseball, quickly becoming a standout player.

What set them apart was not just talent—it was their ability to dominate completely different sports at the highest levels. It wasn’t long before their journeys converged at Auburn University.

Auburn University: A Football Brotherhood

Both Jackson and Thomas were initially recruited to Auburn primarily for football, a program then under head coach Pat Dye. Bo Jackson arrived at Auburn in 1982 as one of the most heralded recruits in the country. He immediately showcased his dynamic athleticism, quickly becoming the face of the program and one of the most explosive running backs in college football history.

Frank Thomas joined Auburn in 1986, four years after Jackson, with a scholarship to play tight end. The two overlapped briefly as part of the football program, with Jackson already a national icon and Thomas working to make his mark on the team.

While Thomas’s football career never fully took off due to injuries and coaching decisions, his exposure to Auburn’s elite athletic culture—and to Bo Jackson himself—proved pivotal. Though their roles on the team differed, they were both part of the same athletic brotherhood. In those early days, a connection formed based on mutual respect and shared ambition. It was clear even then that both men were destined for greatness.

A Fork in the Road: Choosing Baseball

For Bo Jackson, football remained his first love, but he was also an exceptional baseball player. During his time at Auburn, he played outfield and showed incredible raw power and speed. After winning the Heisman Trophy in 1985, Jackson faced a difficult decision: pursue a career in the NFL or take his talents to Major League Baseball.

Famously, Jackson was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft but refused to sign, believing the organization had manipulated his eligibility and misled him. Instead, he chose to sign with the Kansas City Royals, launching a professional baseball career that would eventually overlap with his time in the NFL.

Frank Thomas, after limited success and opportunity in football, turned full-time to baseball at Auburn. There, he flourished under head coach Hal Baird. His natural swing, plate discipline, and power made him one of the top hitters in college baseball. By 1989, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft.

The football dream had given way to baseball excellence—but for both men, the change brought them closer to achieving legendary status.

Bo’s Dual-Sport Brilliance

Bo Jackson’s baseball career with the Royals got off to a slow start, but by 1989, he was a full-fledged MLB star. That same year, he made the All-Star team and famously hit a monstrous home run off Rick Reuschel to lead off the game. Jackson would go on to win the All-Star Game MVP, further fueling his mythic reputation.

At the same time, Jackson was also playing running back for the Los Angeles Raiders in the NFL. In a league filled with elite athletes, Jackson stood out as something otherworldly. His Monday Night Football performance against the Seattle Seahawks in 1987—when he rushed for 221 yards and flattened linebacker Brian Bosworth—remains one of the most iconic moments in NFL history.

Jackson’s ability to perform at the highest level in two sports captured the imagination of fans across the country. He became the face of Nike’s “Bo Knows” campaign, a cultural phenomenon that cemented his status as a pop culture icon.

But in January 1991, everything changed.

Injury and Transition

Bo Jackson’s professional career was derailed by a devastating hip injury during an NFL playoff game. The injury required hip replacement surgery and effectively ended his football career. Most assumed it would also spell the end of his time in Major League Baseball.

But Jackson’s determination was unmatched. He rehabilitated, returned to the sport he once shared with Frank Thomas at Auburn, and signed with the Chicago White Sox in 1991.

By then, Frank Thomas had already arrived.

The Big Hurt Emerges

Thomas made his major league debut for the White Sox in 1990 and quickly became one of the most feared hitters in baseball. With a powerful frame and a disciplined approach at the plate, he was nicknamed “The Big Hurt” for the damage he inflicted on opposing pitchers.

From 1991 to 1997, Thomas was nearly untouchable. He hit over .300 each year, regularly topped 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, and walked more than he struck out—an increasingly rare feat. He won back-to-back American League MVP awards in 1993 and 1994 and was the face of the White Sox franchise.

When Bo Jackson joined the team in 1991, it was a reunion years in the making.

White Sox Reunion: Teammates Once Again

Though Jackson was no longer the unstoppable force he once was, his presence on the White Sox roster in the early 1990s was symbolic. Fans were captivated by the idea of two Auburn football teammates sharing a professional baseball dugout. For Jackson, it was a comeback story. For Thomas, it was a full-circle moment—playing alongside the athlete who had once been a legend at Auburn while he was just a freshman tight end trying to find his way.

Jackson played parts of three seasons with the White Sox, including a memorable 1993 campaign in which he hit 16 home runs and helped the team reach the American League Championship Series. Thomas, meanwhile, was the team’s offensive engine. The pairing of the two Auburn alums added a unique layer of intrigue and history to those teams.

Even as their playing styles differed—Thomas being a patient power hitter and Jackson an explosive athlete—their presence together symbolized a rare convergence of raw athletic talent and shared experience.

Legacy and Impact

Frank Thomas retired in 2008 as one of the greatest hitters in MLB history. He finished with 521 home runs, a .301 batting average, and a career .974 OPS. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, the first White Sox player to be inducted on the first ballot.

Bo Jackson’s career was cut short, but his impact was seismic. He is still the only athlete to be named an All-Star in both the NFL and MLB. Though his professional numbers don’t match Hall of Fame standards, his cultural impact and mythos are unmatched. In 2022, a statue of Bo Jackson was unveiled outside Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium—a lasting tribute to his influence.

Their legacies are different, but complementary. Thomas represents excellence over time; Jackson represents transcendent ability in a flash. Together, they tell a story of how talent, opportunity, and resilience can define an athlete’s path in more than one arena.

Final Thoughts: A Unique Brotherhood

It’s rare enough to find one athlete who excels in both college football and professional baseball. To find two such athletes who started as teammates and later played together again in the major leagues is almost unfathomable.

Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson are more than Auburn legends or MLB standouts—they are symbols of a unique brotherhood forged through shared dreams and mutual respect. From Auburn’s football fields to the professional baseball stage, their careers intertwined in ways that few athletes ever experience.

In a sports world often dominated by specialization, the stories of Bo and Frank stand as reminders of what’s possible when talent knows no boundaries.