Bo Jackson is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, notably playing professional football and baseball during his career. But even supreme athletes have a kryptonite.
Jackson made an appearance on the “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” show Wednesday live ahead of him participating in the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Alabama.
Last month Jackson’s former teammate Frank Thomas had his statue revealed outside Plainsman Park, a ceremony he did not attend due to a peculiar condition that many are familiar with but few have sustained for as long as Jackson has.
“I wasn’t there because of dealing with hiccups,” Jackson said. “I’ve had the hiccups since last July. I’m getting a medical procedure done the end of this week, I think, to try to remedy it. I’ve been busy sitting at the doctor’s poking me, shining lights down my throat, probing me every way they can to find out why I’ve got these hiccups. That’s the only reason I wasn’t there.”
Jackson’s prolonged hiccups seem like the ultimate annoyance, and one that he and doctors cannot seem to find a solution for.
“I have done everything — scare me, hang upside down, drink water, smell the a-- of a porcupine,” Jackson said, “it doesn’t work.”
Just like he missed Thomas’ trophy dedication, Jackson just missed his time on campus, leaving Auburn in 1986 right before Thomas would step foot on campus in 1987. The Auburn duo would go on to become teammates later for the Chicago White Sox, and hopefully, Thomas was understanding of his former teammate’s bizarre circumstances.
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The hiccups may not be Bo Jackson’s only weakness, as he did not speak too fondly about his golf game headed into the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament. Jackson played on a team with former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, musician Mike Mills, and Champions Tour pro Scott McCarron, doing his best to pull his weight on the links.
“The golf game sucks as usual,” Jackson said. “It ain’t nothing to brag about.
Jackson added, “Put it to you this way, if golf was throwing rocks, I’d be the baddest man on the planet. I’d be the baddest man on the planet. But I quit throwing rocks because I got in too much trouble. If I play too much golf, I’m gonna get in trouble. So just every now and then, someone will call me ‘hey, you want to play?’ So I pick up the sticks and go play.”
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