Bo Jackson is my favorite athlete of all time! I created this blog to showcase the cards I currently have in my collection. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Check back each Monday for a new card!
I present to you another fantastic Bo Jackson card from the beautiful 1988 Topps football set. This card highlights Bo Jackson in action on the gridiron and on the back shows the Raiders statistical leaders from the 1987 season. I think it shows the star status of Bo that Topps featured him on the front of the card when he wasn't a leader in any category for his football team that year! Also, look at those game scores, the Raiders were pretty terrible in '87.
This is the card that started it all! The iconic 1988 Topps football rookie card. Those stats from year 1 were pretty impressive based on the lack of time on the field. It just showed a glimpse of what was to come and what could have been had Bo chosen to play in the NFL fulltime. At this point we can only speculate what his career would have looked like had he followed that path. I really like the blue used on this Topps offering, it really helps the photos pop. In my opinion, this is one of the best looking football sets of the 80s. Fantastic card and a must have for any collector!
This is one of my favorite 90's Bo Jackson football cards. I like the silvery colored border, the amazing font and word boxes, the dual photo front...I LOVE IT ALL! This also marks around the time where I was at my peak in card collecting and brands were just starting to dip their toes into the world of insert cards. It was such a thrill to pull one of these from a pack of FLEER!
I've said it before and I'll probably say it another million times, but I am an absolute sucker for and Bo Jackson card that features him in his Auburn uniform! He really was a beast on the college gridiron! I remember seeing packs of these "Collegiate Collection" cards at the local card shops. I bought a few Auburn packs in hopes of getting a Bo card, that did not happen. I also bought some North Carolina packs in hopes of getting a Michael Jordan card, that didn't happen either. Finally, thanks to the amazing invention called the internet, I now have one of these Bo cards in my collection!
The artwork on this Team MVP card is fantastic! I like the illustration of Bo and the minimalistic background really helps to make the image pop! This card highlights the tandem of Marcus Allen & Bo Jackson, showing how they led the Raiders to the 5th best rushing offense in 1990. These feats helped earn Bo his first Pro-Bowl birth that year. I can only imagine how many more there could have been?
I stumbled upon this card while doing an ebay search for Bo Jackson cards a few years ago. Before then, I had never seen this at shows or online. It's a nice looking card from a set given out by the Downtown Athletic Club that highlights past winners of the college Heisman Trophy. I also received a card of fellow Heisman winner and Auburn alum, Pat Sullivan, when I bought this.
Wild Card was a pretty decent card manufacturer in the early 90's. They only lasted a few years, but they put out some nice looking cards. I like the action photo on the front of this Bo football card with the number border. The back has a shot of Bo looking fresh in those sweet shades and fair amount of stats. I never did get any of the numbered parallels of this card, but I'm sure I'll be hunting them down sometime soon!
I have about a dozen different versions of Bo Jackson's football rookie card. In order of favorites, this one falls somewhere in the middle. The main differences between this issue and the original is the foil stamped "Topps Archives" logo, the thicker card stock and the coloring on the back is a brighter shade of green/blue. I can't get enough of this iconic card, that I would probably buy another dozen variations if they hit the market!
Type: Base Card Acquired: Bought Online This card is a bit of a mystery for me. Obviously it's from one of Star's many player based sets, but it shows Bo in his Auburn football uniform and it features the Kansas City Royals logo and the verbiage "Kansas City Bomber". The back of the card is where the real mystery comes in...because there is none! Was this a printing error, maybe a promotional card? If anyone knows, please help me out by dropping some knowledge in the comment section below. All that said, I do like the photo on the front of the card. It's one that I have not seen used anywhere else before. I don't even remember where this card came from. I'm assuming it was in a lot that I purchased online? So many questions!!!!
Type: Base Card Acquired: Pulled From Pack I remember my friend's grandma was having a yard sale and she had boxes of 1990 Score football cards for $10 each. I had to have one of them! So, I did a crazy amount of household chores in a short amount of time to get the money to buy a box. This was one of the cards I pulled from that box and it is one of my favorite Bo cards. How can you not love a card that features one of the NFL's premiere power backs thundering down the field with a bolt of lightening striking in the distance? You can almost hear the electricity in this card. Someone really needs to bring back the "Ground Force" subset...like now!
Type: Base Card Acquired: Pulled From Pack This card highlights Bo's league leading 5.6 yards per carry in the 1990 NFL season. He also ran for 698 yards on 125 carries! I love the "Superman" type intro this card gives Bo. This alone is worth the price of the card. Photo on the front is pretty good too, just would have liked to have seen the whole photo and not just a cropped picture of Mr. Jackson.
This late 80's football card features 2 Heisman trophy winners in Marcus Allen & Bo Jackson! What a lethal 1-2 punch! Could you imagine being on defense and having to face these two brutal backs in the same game. Allen was more of a finesse runner while Bo was pure power. I love this card, just wish they would have gotten a photo of the 2 together kind of like FLEER did with their "Superstar Specials" subsets. Overall a great combo!
I don't know too much about this early 2000's offering from Fleer, but any set that includes Bo Jackson is okay with me! Honestly, the clean looking white borders and graphics give this card a nice, sharp look. The shot on the front is nice, not great, but nice and the back gives Bo's full career stats as a running back for the Raiders. Still is amazing to know that Bo had a lifetime record of 5.4 yards per carry! In comparison Emmitt Smith's best year was a 5.3 and Barry Sanders career number was 5.0.
The 1989 Score set has always been one of my favorite 80's football sets. I like the colorful borders, the action shots and even the full cover large candid shots on the back are a nice touch. I know that most collectors recognize this set for the Barry Sanders rookie card, but this Bo card is not one to be overlooked.
This card marks Bo Jackson's second entry in the Fleer "Provisions" insert set. The first was in the 1991 Fleer baseball set and to be honest with you, that one is way cooler than this one. The artwork here is fine, but it's pretty generic. Bo standing in front of a foreboding night sky is okay and the moon as a baseball is probably meant to be a way of saying that he "Moonlights" as an outfielder, but the baseball card gave Bo a robotic arm! How can anything beat that! These cards were on the want list of every card collecting kid back in the early 90's and I am still proud to say I have this early insert card in my collection.
Type: Insert Card Acquired: Bought at Card Shop Here is another pickup from my family's trip to South Dakota. I saw this in a box of random Royals cards at a downtown card shop and assumed it was another 1987 Topps Bo "Future Stars" card, but when I flipped it over I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was yet another reprint in a recent Topps baseball set. This is a card that I had never seen before. I paid my $1 and now it is a nice addition to my Bo Jackson card collection.
Acquired: Bought at Card Shop A few weeks back, myself and my wife took our kids on a week long vacation to South Dakota. We saw so many great and historical things while we were there like Mount Rushmore, Cosmos Mystery Spot and Dinosaur Park. Those places were cool, but of course I had to see if there was a card shop near by. There was and I brought the family. I dug through some boxes and searched a few binders and uncovered a few Bo cards that were not currently in my collection. One of these cards was this 2017 Topps Archive card numbered 36 out of 75! Nice card had for a decent price.
I had a few of the cards from this 1993 insert set, but never owned the Bo card until recently. It has a candid shot of Bo on the front and the back contains a little bit of insight into what Bo thinks is important in life on and off the diamond. I love that he talks about the time he spent with his mother. I live across the country from my Mom and wish I could spend more time with her. Also, the fact that this power hitter thinks so highly of guys like Joe Carter and Kirby Puckett since they are "complete players" shows a lot about his baseball IQ. Very cool card from a solid early 80's release.
ProSet cards boasted some of the best photography on any NFL cards during the late 80's/early 90's and this card is no exception. The shot of Bo on the front getting ready to cut up the Lions defense and the pic of Hall of Famer Barry Sanders on the back are great. These guys were 2 of the fiercest competitors on the field and it shows as each player rushed for over 100 yards each as the game was won by the Raiders by a score of 38-31 in this 1990 classic at the Silverdome in Detroit!
This oddball card attempts to recreate the look of the classic 1986 Donruss set. It mostly succeeds and has a cool photo of Bo in his Memphis Chicks minor league uniform. There is no date on the card, but I place it in the 1991-92 date range due to the photo of Bo in his White Sox uniform on the back. There is a lack of minor league stats, but this card does give a little info on Bo's early years in baseball and the monster home runs he used to hit. Overall, I like this card. It's full of nostalgia and it's not often we get cards of Bo before his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals. Even though it is an unlicensed card, it is a nice card to add to the collection.
This card commemorates Bo Jackson's 1st and only All-Star game appearance in 1989. In that one appearance Bo was the top vote getter for the American League, hit a home run, drove in 2 runs and won the 1989 All-Star game MVP Award. Not a bad debut for Bo in the midseason classic! Maybe I am being selfish, but I wish we could have seen more of him competing with the best players in the game. At least we were able to witness this terrific performance.
I am a sucker for any card that shows off Bo in the Auburn colors. I have seen this photo or similar photos used on cards before, but the layout and graphics of this offering from Press Pass gives it a fresh look. I would have preferred to see another photo on the back and some college stats and the info is pretty generic, but it is a solid good looking card.
Bo never actually stepped up to the plate during the 1992 MLB season, but this card shows him getting out there signing autographs for his fans. I personally have never met Bo, it is on my bucket list, but I have heard many great stories about fans and their interactions with one of the greatest athletes to grace the diamond. From what I've heard, he was gracious and took the time to talk to each individual. It's cool to know a guy that was one of the biggest name in sports during the 90's takes time for his fans and the people who have supported him and his career over the years. I also like the photo on the front showing Bo swinging for the fences with the guns out in full view!
Type: Oddball Card Acquired: Bought Online This 24 card set boasted some amazing Hall of Fame talent including Ken Griffey Jr., Robin Yount, Tony Gwynn and Rickey Henderson! Of course the card I hunted down was of Mr. Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson! The front design of the card is pretty solid and the back has complete career stats for Bo, but the lack of MLB logos kind of takes a bit of the fun away from this card.
Action Packed cards were freakin' amazing to us kid card collectors in the early 90's. Every card in the set was embossed with an action photo of our favorite football player. It was something we had never seen before and the packs sold for twice as much as a pack of Topps cards or Pro Set. That and the fact that they had gold foil on each card must mean that they were valuable! Right? Anyway, I was so envious of my friend when he pulled this card from a pack. I had to have it! Pretty sure I traded quite a few Don Mattingly, Kevin Maas and maybe a couple Dave Righetti cards to get this Bo in my hands. Totally worth it!
This Upper Deck card is one of the most iconic Bo cards of all time! I remember this being the first card to show Bo in his new Chicago White Sox uniform after he was released by the Kansas City Royals due to his football career ending hip injury. It was odd seeing Bo in this new uniform, but it was fantastic to see him back on the diamond and ready to dominate once again. Bo didn't see much time in the field for the Sox in 1991. He only played in 23 games, batted .225 and knocked 3 home runs with 14 RBI. To most that would be a huge disappointment, but considering all that Bo had gone through it was a feat most would not be able to achieve in the MLB!
Type: Base Card Acquired: Bought Online I did not collect the Upper Deck Fun Packs when they hit store shelves back in 1992, but I wish I did! Look at this card! It's got funky graphics, bright colors, nice photography and a cartoon image on the back! Unlike the 1993 Upper Deck card, this one shows Bo taking a swing at a ball that is right on the money. He probably knocked this one right out of the park!! Love that they included the little tidbit about Bo's 1st home run after returning from hip surgery was dedicated to his Mom. Such a great story from an amazing career. Only gripe is that they have Bo receiving his All-Star Game MVP trophy while wearing a White Sox hat! Should have been a Royals cap as he was with Kansas City when he earned ASG MVP in 1989. Otherwise a fantastic card filled with 90's nostalgia!!
Type: Numbered Parallel Acquired: Bought Online This card really caught my eye when I saw it online. The sepia toned image of Bo against the gold background and the foil stamping really are quite excellent. The photo itself is really nothing unique, but the composition of the card is what makes this a top card for me. Not to mention there were only 1000 of these cards made. Donruss of all companies did a nice job of putting this card together.
Type: Base Card Acquired: Traded With Friend I really liked the look of this set from Upper Deck. The graphics on the front are bold and simplistic which helps to make the colorful photos really pop! Ultimately though, it looks like Bo is going for a swing and a miss on the front photo. THAT BALL IS TOO LOW BO! DON'T SWING!! The back photo is gold as well. That shot of Bo giving a tip of his cap to the photographer while in the dugout is a fantastic candid shot. Decent stat representation on the back makes this card a winner!
Type: Limited Set Acquired: Bought Online Yes, it is another boring STAR card from 1989, but I actually give this one some small kudos due to the image on the front of the card. It shows Bo in mid swing at the plate. The photo is unique and that is why I can't say this is one of my least favorite Bo cards in my collection. It is near the bottom though. That's due to the dull graphics on the front of the card and the bland back of the card. At least it gives us Bo's career minor league stats. I know I am complaining about this card quite a bit, but I have quite a few reasons to do so.
This is a card that I had never seen growing up, but eventually stumbled upon years later. This set features 2 cards from each team. One focusing on the defense and the other one featuring the offense. The card above shows off Bo's skills as he weaves through the line to try and hit pay dirt against the Chargers. I like the photography, the yellow highlights and even the stats on the back. It doesn't name any players on the card, but we all know that's Bo.
Type: Limited Set Acquired: Bought Online Back in the day, there was nothing cooler than getting free baseball cards in your snack cakes, breakfast cereal or bread! The photo on the front of this card features Bo in a very serious mood. Not sure why? Did the photog grab him unexpectedly? Did Bo just go 0 for 4? What was the deal with that look? Either way I actually like the photo, my only complaint is that the team logos have been swiped from the uniform. The back is actually pretty decent looking for a freebie and includes the classic Wonder Bread logo. One of my favorite free premium cards in my Bo collection!
Type: Oddball Card Acquired: Bought Online I have been trying to find any info I can on this card and all I have found is nothing! Obviously this was part of some anti-drug campaign in the 1980's, but I can't find out what year this card was made? I've seen some sites say 1986 and some say 1988. At least we can agree it's from the 80's. I don't know how this was distributed? Maybe a giveaway at games? It also looks like it may have been a downsized version of a poster? I have no idea, but I do know that I like it! The message on the back is short and to the point. Did you know that "Bo knows...it's best to turn your back on crack"? Just an odd card that I was excited to find for around $2. I had seen it for years online and now I have one in my collection!
This is another one of my favorite Bo Jackson cards. In 1992 I was 11 years old and our local Mom & Pop drug store carried packs of these cards. The packs were only 35 cents each which made them very affordable for me. I bought pack after pack hoping to pull a Bo, but I never did. I did get some cool cards with some really cool designs, but it wasn't until almost 20 years later that I bought this card online for around $1. I'm glad I did. This was a childhood feat finally completed! Love the design, the cartoony graphics and the comics & info on the back. Awesome card from a unique set!
Type: Base Card Acquired: Bought at Show I like this "Speedburner" subset card from the 1989 Score football set. The photo on the front is okay, but the back of the card really shines with it's cool looking logo graphics and stats from Bo's collegiate career as a track star! Did you know Bo was a 2-time Alabama State Decathlon champion in high school or that he set state records in the 60 & 100 yard dashes, 60 & 120 yard hurdles, the long jump and the high jump? He also lettered in indoor track twice at Auburn and once in outdoor track. Truly, Bo was the greatest athlete of our time!
These STAR cards from the late 80's really are pretty boring. I understand that colors match the Royals colors, but it is just so bland. The photo is okay and the back of the card offers little in the way of anything! This card is the checklist for an 11 card Bo Jackson set. Despite all it's negatives, it's good to know there are sets devoted to my favorite athlete of all time out there and as a collector it is now part of my collection!
Okay, technically this isn't a Bo Jackson card. It's a Nolan Ryan card where he is holding a Bo Jackson card. The card in question that the Ryan Express is holding is a 1987 Classic #369. This is one of Bo's most popular rookie cards and features him in his Auburn baseball and football gear. Nolan & Bo actually have a history with each other. Nolan once took a Bo hit to the face and was still able to throw him out! The bloody face & jersey of Nolan after the hit would become an iconic image of the time.
Then in 1993 Bo helped save Nolan Ryan after he hurled a fastball to the ribs of Robin Ventura! In his words Ryan said "All I remember is that I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was going to black out and die, when all of a sudden I see two big arms tossing bodies off of me. It was [Chicago’s] Bo Jackson. He had come to my rescue, and I’m awful glad he did, because I was about to pass out. I called him that night and thanked him.”
Two great players intertwined in the history of baseball. This card show cases the bond between the two. Even though Ryan looks like he wants nothing to do with the photo shoot, he will forever be linked to Bo Jackson and their greatness on the diamond.
This is one of my favorite cards of all time! Not just out of the Bo cards I have, but of any cards. It takes us back to the late 80's & early 90's when Foot Locker would hold an annual "Slam Fest" slam dunk championship for non NBA players. Some notable participants include Barry Sanders, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Conley Sr., Deion Sanders and Barry Bonds! Back then players were able to participate in events like this. Now, you wouldn't be able to pull off a Slam Fest due to injury concerns for big money players, but it's nice to know this was a thing and Bo participated and performed well enough to get a 3rd place finish! Enjoy Bo in all his hoops glory and check out the video below that showcases the 1992 event!
I love the look of this card! It's retro and yet modern in it's approach. The photo on the front is one I had never seen on a Bo card before and it's always great to see Mr. Jackson in his Auburn College uni. The back doesn't give stat, but simply gives highlights of Bo's college career. Not many cards mention Bo's status as an elite track star! The cartoon on the back is also a welcome addition to this card offering from the Topps Company!
Not too much to say about this card. The photo, outfit and design of the card screams 90's! The back gives a simple "Bo Knows Weight Lifting" description. I don't have much of a connection to this card since I got it in a big lot of cards I bought online a few years ago. All in all, it's a unique card showing Bo performing athletic feats outside of the baseball diamond and football gridiron.
This card was from 1990, but showcases Bo's rookie season with the L.A. Raiders in 1987. The front of the card shows off the bold yellow boarder that Starting Lineup cards were known for. The back of the card features nothing in the way of stats, but does give some nice little factoids about Bo's rookie year. Some standout items include Bo's league leading 6.8 yards per carry, setting a Raiders team record with 221 yards in one game and despite only playing 7 games, being named Rookie of the year by NEA and Football Digest!
Despite the odd editing of the phot, I really like this unlicensed Bo Jackson Card! I like the mix of having Bo representing the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Raiders. I like the unauthorized use of the Topps "All-Star Rookie" trophy logo and I really like the inclusion of stats on the back for both Bo's football and baseball career. I think I spent $1 on this card at a show at the Hackettstown Mall back in the early 90's. I would say that is money well spent for this unique oddball card!
These Collect-A-Books were pretty popular back in the day. They were the size of a trading card, but you read them like a book. As a matter of fact I actually passed one of these off as literature when I wrote a book report on Bo Jackson based off of this very Collect-A-Book while I was in high school! These didn't come in packs like standard cards, but they came in sets. Bo was in the first set released along with Dwight Gooden, Ken Griffey Jr., Rickey Henderson and 8 other baseball stars. They may be a collecting footnote now, but these were actually pretty cool, they fit in standard baseball card collector sheets and cases and gave you some decent info on your favorite players. I scanned the rest of the book and you can check it out for yourself below!
I'm pretty sure this card was included in a lot of Bo stuff that I bought online. This card holds some really great sentimental value for me. I actually had a framed version of this poster hanging on my bedroom wall for at least a decade! What's special to me is how I got this poster. My family was at the New Jersey State Fair and I was about 9 years old and a huge Bo Jackson fan. I saw that one of the carnival games had this framed poster as a prize. I can't quite remember what game it was, but I do remember failing hard! I went away upset and broke. Little did I know that my older brother had gone back to the game and won me this Bo "Black & Blue" poster. I was ecstatic! This was so out of character for my brother that it really caught me by surprise. Even though he would give me wedgies, ruin my works of art (at least I thought they were) and blame me for anything that went wrong in the house, I still have those great memories of the few times he wasn't a jerk! This was one of them. Thanks bro!
This is a really nice looking card, really eye catching. I like how Leaf made Bo's photo black & white while the background has a mix of colors. It really makes his figure pop on the card. Also, the jersey relic viewing area is cut into the shape of home plate. I love it! The back lacks everything, except the standard authenticity verbiage. Since there were only 100 of these cards produced, I am glad it is in my collection. I got #46!
I love everything about this card! The glossy finish, the understated graphics on the front, the excellent on-base photo in addition to the dugout photo on the back! Mwha! It is perfection on cardboard. I really don't even dislike the lack of stats on the back as I usually do. It gives more space to the intense photo and that I can deal with...just this once!
The design of this set was very unique and unusual to me back when it was released in 1994. I like the clean design and the little "computer" inspired graphics are totally 90's. The backs were nice and feature a nice candid shot of the player, full stats, a recap of Bo's triumphant return to the game after hip surgery and a quote from Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas, make this card an excellent addition to my Bo card collection!
