SEC Football history: 50 best players of all time

3. Best SEC football players of all time: Bo Jackson, Auburn football

When you think about college football, college baseball, the NFL, and the MLB, only one man has dominated all four. That man is Vincent Jackson, better known as “Bo,” a guy who was drafted in the second round by the New York Yankees out of high school, but came to Auburn because he promised his mom he would be the first to graduate from college.

Luckily for the Auburn Tigers, he kept his promise to his mother, as he became not only one of the best running backs in SEC and NCAA history but also arguably the greatest athlete in the history of sports. Jackson did it all as a member of the Tigers football program, rushing for nearly 900 yards as a true freshman, which was a sample of what was to come in his illustrious career.

A three-time All-SEC selection, as well as a two-time All-American, Jackson finished his career with over 4,300 rushing yards and averaged better than 6.5 yards per carry. As a senior, he had the best season in conference history in terms of rushing yards, racking up 1,786 on the ground, en route to winning the Heisman Trophy in the smallest margin of victory over Iowa quarterback Chuck Long.

He was the second member of the Auburn Tigers program to win a Heisman Trophy and is one of only three to have his jersey number retired. Whether it was around, or through the defender, Bo Jackson was a monster with a football in his hands, and there will likely never be another player like him in any sport ever again.